Kingdom Hearts: Shattered Unity
by Rockabilly2000
Summary: Sora and co have lived in peace for a year but when a secret society of Dark Keyblade Masters reappear after lying in the shadows for half a century Sora will take up a new weapon, guard a princess, save the girl he loves and become a True Keyblade Master
1. Prologue

FULL SUMMARY:

Sora and friends have lived in peace for a year, but when a secret society of Dark Keyblade Masters reappear after lying in the shadows for half a century to revive the true culprit behind the disasters that have befallen the worlds in the last decade, Sora must take up a new weapon, the Ultimate Keyblade that caused the Keyblade Wars so long ago, play bodyguard to a bratty princess, save the girl he loves, his friends, and become a True Keyblade Master.

_**Kingdom Hearts**_

_**Shattered Unity**_

_**Prologue: Denizens of the Dark, Letters from a King**_

**Sora, Hero of Light, Protector of the Worlds, Master of the Keyblade. Guardian of Kingdom Hearts.**

**You have had your glory. You have made your mark on the world.**

**You have made it far. You have become a real hero.**

**Because of me.**

_[Everything is born from sleep}_

**I have spent the last ten years hiding. Waiting for my master to return to me.**

_[Like their creation after destruction, what was there after the Keyblade War?]_

**My fellow apprentices are coming. We were great warriors once.**

_[I can see it… the darkness that sleeps in your heart]_

**Thanks to our master.**

_[You should know him… the masked boy]_

**We were the Lucid Key Elite.**

[_Travel the worlds! Destroy _, the one who disturbed the balance!]_

**I was the best of the best. I was created from the darkness in HIS frail heart. And when I tried to become one with him… all we wanted was the ultimate weapon:**

**{X-Blade}**

_[YOU SHOULDN'T EXIST!]_

**Your heart is strong. You were born with the ability to intertwine the fates of anyone who comes in contact with you. It was only natural that the remains of my broken self retreat into your darkness.**

_[I'll never forgive you…!]_

**Now my friends are coming for me and my dear master.**

[XEHANORT!]

**And that cute redhead is coming with us.**

**I am the Dark Soldier. I am the first Heartless.**

**I**

**Am**

**You**

**I am**

**VANITAS!**

_(SONG: Over the Hills and Far Away by Nightwish)_

_intro_

Upon a beaten shore covered by fierce rain, dense fog, and swirling storm clouds stands a young man with wild brown spikes, blindfolded and wearing a black coat with red heart symbols on the chest and back. Waves crash around him as the sound of drums beating in the distance catches his attention.

_They came for him one winter's night.  
Arrested, he was bound.  
They said there'd been a robbery,  
his pistol had been found._

He cocks his head slightly. He tightens his headband as thunder crashes overhead. With a flash of lightning an image of a younger version of him on a small islet, surrounded by dark creatures. An older boy with silver hair is sinking into a pool of darkness with an outstretched hand. He reaches out to his friend.

_They marched to the station house,  
he waited for the dawn.  
And as they led him to the dock,  
he knew that he'd been wrong.  
"You stand accused of robbery,"  
he heard the bailiff say.  
He knew without an alibi,  
tomorrow's light would mourn his freedom._

In the young boy's hand there is a flash of light and a strange key shaped weapon appears in his hand. It has a keychain on the end of it in the shape of a mouse head. As his friend vanishes ha red haired girl appears before him. She mouths something soundlessly and fades away as he cries out her name. A huge monster rises from the darkness and the image fades to him and an anthropomorphic duck and dog standing in a mechanical palace, facing off with the silver haired boy, wearing a strange armor and a sorceress in black surrounded by green flames.

_Over the hills and far away,  
for ten long years he'll count the days.  
Over the mountains and the seas,  
a prisoner's life for him there'll be._

He and the silver haired boy battled with the Keyblade and a similar weapon but with an essence of darkness surrounding it, as the lifeless body of the red haired girl lay in the middle of the floor. The silver haired boy dropped to a knee and vanished in a plume of black smoke. The brown haired boy grabbed the weapon and pierced his heart with it. A shining light went into the red head and she jumped up to see the boy fade away. He was replaced with a small dark being. She embraced it and he returned to a human form. He turned away from her and he and the duck and dog were staring a man with white hair and an overcoat with an emblem on it.

_He knew that it would cost him dear,  
but yet he dare not say.  
Where he had been that fateful night,  
a secret it must stay.  
He had to fight back tears of rage.  
His heart beats like a drum.  
For with the wife of his best friend,  
he spent his final night of freedom.._

The boy is floating in a dark abyss as the man is floating across from him. The two battle with the powers of light and darkness. The duck and dog join him and the man was overwhelmed. The man reaches towards a massive door and the darkness pours from it. The boy does the same and light replaces the darkness, washing over the vile man. He and the duck and dog attempt to shut the door with his silver haired friend on the other side.

_Over the hills and far away,  
he swears he will return one day.  
Far from the mountains and the seas,  
back in her arms he swears he'll be.  
Over the hills and far away._

A mouse king appears with his own key and the two use their power to lock the door to darkness. The silver haired boy stand on the other side and mouths the words "Take care of her," The brown haired boy nods and turns to see the girl in question. He runs to her and they exchange words. The piece of ground she stands on breaks away and they share their last words for a long time:

"I'll come back to you, I promise!" "I know you will!"

_Over the hills and,  
over the hills and,  
over the hills and far away._

He and the Duck and Dog stand at the doors of an imposing castle. The image turns to static, but an image of a blonde boy and girl appear before it flashes to the boy and his companions outside of an old mansion, him being much taller and wearing black traveling clothes. He pulls a star shape charm from his pocket and thinks of her,

_Solo_

He, the duck, and the dog charge through a white castle, battling white husks and men in black robes with strange weapons. They are joined by the red headed girl, the silver haired boy and the mouse king. They meet with a man in a black robe with silver hair and an expressionless face. Their comrades dissolve away and it is just the two boys, weapons drawn. The boys stand in a white realm of nothingness. The boys look towards each other, nod and attack. The man battles using red beams of light as they fight with alarming speed and grace. The brown haired boy takes his friend's weapon and scores some critical hits with both weapons. They join hands at the hilt of his Keyblade and a beam of light shoots out. The image fades to a beach covered in darkness.

_Each night within his prison cell,  
he looks out through the bars.  
He reads the letters that she wrote.  
One day he'll know the taste of freedom._

The silver haired boy picks up a glass bottle and passes it to his friend. He opens it and reads the letter, a smile gracing his tired face. He looks up to see a massive door of light opening up before him. He stands up and assists his friend. The light washes over them and the scene changes to the red head standing on her home beach with a worried look on her face.

_Over the hills and far away,  
she prays he will return one day.  
As sure as the rivers reach the seas,  
back in his arms she swears she'll be_

The mouse points to the sky as two blue streaks fall from the sky. She smiles more widely than she ever has. She runs to the shore and shouts their names. The blue streaks hit the water and two heads pop up from the water and swim quickly towards her. The brown haired boy is there first but is tackled by his companions.

_Over the hills and far away,  
he swears he will return one day.  
Far from the mountains and the seas,  
back in her arms he swears he'll be._

She giggles as the silver haired boy swings the mouse around in his arms as there are sounds of laughter. The brown haired boy finally wrestles off his friends and their eyes meet. He pulls the charm out of his pocket and holds it out to her. She smiles as he says: "We're back!"

_Over the hills and far away,  
she prays he will return one day.  
As sure as the rivers reach the seas,  
back in his arms is where she'll be._

She accepts the charms but before helping him up she replies: "You're home."

_Over the hills,  
over the hills and far away._

The boy, now older, in his black clothes and blindfold smiles as he remembers his adventures fondly. He turns to face a blonde girl with glasses and a beret holding a white rabbit like creature. They smile and wave as he walks towards them, and his most difficult journey yet.

_Over the hills,  
over the hills and far away._

**(A/N wanna see the outfit Sora was wearing in the beginning as well as a gallery intended just for this fic? Visit **_**theepichill(dot)deviantart(dot)com**_**!)**

**

* * *

**

In the Dark Meridian sat a black cloaked figure, staring out into the dark sea. He was approached by a young girl with blue hair and strange clothing, consisting of black and blue, high-collared halter top, and two pink, intersecting belts over her chest, and black shorts. They both seemed to be in a darkness induced haze.

"Who are you?" she asked him.

He looked at her warily, seeming to study her with tired eyes.

"Why hello," he said slowly, ignoring her question. "It's not often I get visitors."

"Please, call me Aqua," she said, ignoring _his _statement. "Why are you sitting all alone in the Realm of Darkness? How did you end up here"

He studied her face and could see that she had resisted the darkness far better than he had so far. He looked off into the ocean's depths before he spoke again.

"Well," he said, trying to think of a response that his fading mind could handle. "I can tell you this is my second time on these shores."

Then he realized that he had forgotten.

"But unfortunately much like the first I don't remember who I am or whence I came. Everything was washed away in whatever currents carried me here."

"That's too bad," said Aqua, apparently hoping he would be able to lead her out. She looked out into the darkness that he was staring at and sat down in the sand.

"I know I've been here a long time," she said. "Wandering through the endless hours… unable to escape."

He glanced at her from under his hood.

"You wish to return to your own world?" he asked.

She slowly nodded once.

"It's my friends. I'd promised I'd be there for them."

"Your friends" he repeated. He looked back out to sea. "Somewhere in the scraps of memory I have left, you remind me of a boy I once knew. He is very much like you. True to his friends and kind, he travels the many worlds and fights to keep the light safe."

That caught her attention. She turned to look at him.

"Keep the Light safe?" she muttered. Then she spoke louder, almost demanding. "I've been away to long. Did something happen out there? Are the worlds in danger?"

"Sad to say, they nearly fell to Darkness more than once. But at every turn that boy arrived, Keyblade in hand to save the day."

She gave a start and made a noise of questioning.

"Wait a sec!" she exclaimed, smiling brightly. "Are Is his name Terra or Ven?"

The man slowly shook his head.

"Neither of those I'm afraid."

She sighed in disappointment.

"I should have known…."

She drew her knees up to her chest and crossed her arms on top of them.

"How long has it been since I met him…?" he said, pain in his voice. "At least a year now. Perhaps more. Back then my heart was clouded with vengeance. I did terrible things, both to him and his friends. I brought unhappiness to more lives than one. I felt something had to be done. Was that why? A means of clearing my conscience, or perhaps out of a sort of scholarly instinct? While the boy slept his long sleep, I his the results of my research inside him, transplanting the data to where it might best serve a purpose. In fact I would like to believe, maybe he can set things right. A boy like him who touches so many hearts, he could open the right door, and save all those people whose lives I've managed to ruin. So many are still waiting for their new beginning, their birth by sleep. Even me."

He looked at Aqua.

"Yes… even you."

She pivoted her body to face him and asked him a question.

"What's this boy's name?"

"His name is… Sora."

The man on the rock did not look away from the sea as a tear rolled down Aqua's cheek, a smile across her lips as she stared into the pale moonlight.

"Sora…"

* * *

The Keyblade Wielder in question was staring into the twilight sky of Destiny Islands with a look of determination in his sky blue eyes, a message in a bottle in his hand. He turned when he heard his name called. Riku, Keyblade Master of Darkness was walking towards his best friend a look of equal determination in his pale green eyes, though they were concealed by his pale silver bangs. Sora was sitting on the paupu tree, brooding about the message at hand. Riku leaned against the trunk.

"Riku," said Sora quietly.

"Your mind's made up?" asked Riku.

Sora looked back into the sea. Riku was asking if Sora had decided to go on his next journey on his own, or to take them along.

"Yeah."

He smiled slightly.

Kairi, a beautiful girl with red hair and blue eyes walked up and stood next to Riku.

"Sora," she said.

She looked at him expectantly and he looked back at her.

"Kairi," he said, hopping off the tree and standing there. "I…"

"Yeah," she replied, looking at the ground. Neither of them were good with words. He chuckled and closed the distance.

"It's just, they really need me," he said, referring to the people being washed away by encroaching darkness. "And I am who I am.. because of them."

The last part was said with a bit of over eager determination, something Sora was well known for. Riku chuckled at his friend's excitement. Kairi took Sora's hand in hers and placed something in it. Her Thalassa charm.

"See you soon," she said.

Sora nodded and pocketed the letter before turning away from his friends and began walking away from the islet. But one may ask… what was in this letter?

* * *

_**(A/N The following is intended for North American and other English audiences and is a summary of the events of Kingdom Hearts: Coded, a Japan Exclusive that takes place after KH II and before the events in this fic. Everything in this summary is completely canon and is intended to inform our readers and to avoid confusion.)**_

The year after the fall of Organization XIII had been peaceful. Sora, Riku and Kairi had made it home and had readjusted to Island life rather quickly. The Disney Castle hierarchy had been stabilized and King Mickey had returned to the throne.

Shortly after returning to the castle, however, Jiminy discovered a message in his journal: We must return to free them from their torment." To investigate this message, King Mickey digitized the contents of the journal and went into the simulated world to investigate; awakening a virtual Data Sora on a virtual Destiny Islands to carry out the contents of the journal to uncover the identity of "them".

As Data Sora awoken on Destiny Islands, he encountered numerous "bugs", which took the form of red and black blocks, covering the whole world. Upon eliminating the Heartless and destroying the bugs, Sora traversed to other worlds infected with bugs to return them to normal, following a cloaked figure upon orders from King Mickey.

Meanwhile, Heartless began appearing within Disney Castle, and everyone found themselves trapped in the room. To their surprise, they were saved by Data Sora. Suddenly, the cloaked figure revealed himself to be Jiminy's Journal taking the form of Riku, and explained that they were no longer in the real world, but the data world. Sora was sent off by the Journal to discover his true identity, only to encounter Maleficent and Pete from the real world.

Having apparently survived the destruction of The Castle that Never Was, Maleficent was at a loss with her plans with the Heartless gone, her control over the darkness weakened, all her allies save for Pete defeated, and still without a base of operations. Desperate to make yet another comeback, the dark fairy sent Pete to Disney Castle to spy on the king and bring her up to date on events. Pete eventually entered the journal world when Mickey turned the journal into a data world to find answers to unsolved questions. Maleficent was summoned into the data world by Pete when he was sent there. Together they decided that they could use the data world to forward Maleficent's original plans to find Kingdom Hearts and fill the worlds with darkness. The pair planned to build up a huge army of Heartless under their complete control by using the Journal's data on the creatures and then send them into the real world to conquer Disney Castle and the rest of the worlds. Maleficent planned to either destroy Mickey or simply leave him trapped in the Journal's data world.

Maleficent destroyed Data Sora's Keyblade and summoned Heartless to attack him. Mickey and the Journal arrived to save Sora, but the Journal was abducted by Maleficent, with Mickey giving chase. Sora made his way through Hollow Bastion, aided by Donald and Goofy. They encountered Pete, who summoned the Journal and took control of him with the bugs to fight them, but Sora still managed to defeat the Journal, who falls unconscious.

Mickey arrived and informed Sora that unless the bugs are destroyed, the Journal will never awaken. Sora decided to find a way to awaken the Journal, and entered Riku's data world, losing his abilities in the process. The two visited various worlds from the Data Riku's memory and find their way back to Hollow Bastion, where they fought and defeated Maleficent. Meanwhile, King Mickey discovered that he will be returning soon to the real world, but the Journal, once completed, will have to be erased, which will mean the end of Data Sora's memories. When the time comes, Sora requests more time in order to save Pete and Maleficent, who are still in the data world. Sora finds them fighting Sora's Heartless.

Apparently, as a symptom of the secrets that were hidden within the journal, the digital recording of Sora's Heartless gained new life and spawned the Bug Blocks which spread throughout the Data Worlds.

After clearing the Bug Blocks from the data Hollow Bastion, the Journal revealed to Data Sora that the digitized version of Sora's Heartless was the source of the Bug Blocks corrupting the Journal. While Data Sora had been exploring the Data Worlds and gained new power, the digitized Sora's Heartless was corrupting the other data, changing them to make itself stronger. Data Sora attacked the digitized Sora's Heartless, but instead of releasing hearts it released the minds of slain Heartless, which it reabsorbed, increasing its power exponentially. Data Sora attacked it again as it took the form of AntiSora, and just as the Heartless was about to win the fight, King Mickey appeared and helped Data Sora slay it. Maleficent and Pete were killed before anything could be done.

Sora defeated Sora's Heartless and Mickey returned to the real world, erasing the Journal. A new message appeared claiming that a new door to a new world has been opened, which was the data of the data world added into the Journal. Mickey, realizing that this quest may be too dangerous for Data Sora as he has no memory of it, requested to be taken into the Data World once again.

Finding Data Sora in Traverse Town, Mickey took him to Castle Oblivion where Data Sora is confronted by a young man wearing a black coat. He told Sora that if he wants to know the truth, he must move forward on his own through the previous worlds he visited destroying bugs. During this time, he realized that even if he doesn't remember someone he's met, there's still the sadness of having forgotten them which the figure attempts to warn not to let it consume him. Sora disregards this message and fights the figure, revealed to be Roxas.

After losing to Sora, Roxas gave him a card as Mickey appeared. Sora opens the next door to find Naminé, who reveals the bugs to have been an unintentional side effect of her attempt to restore Sora's memories. She then reveals Sora's nature as the "Key that connects everything" through his ties with herself, Roxas, Xion, and Axel. Furthermore, Naminé told Data Sora about three figures also tied to Sora's heart who are the ones referred to in the message and need his help. Mickey bids farewell to the Data Sora and promised Naminé that he will inform the real Sora of this.

Mickey, knowing that this is a journey only the real Sora is capable of taking on, sent him this message:

_I wanted to tell you immediately._

_There are memories asleep inside you._

_Those memory fragments connect to the future._

_Sora, Riku, Kairi,_

_the truth surrounding the Keyblade,_

_passes through numerous connections,_

_which are inside your hearts._

_Sora,_

_it all leads to you, and everyone is waiting for you._

_The only one who can heal their sadness is you._

_It's possible that your travels up until now,_

_compared to the next trip, may have been easy._

_Everything thought to be accidental was really connected,_

_and the door to a new adventure already seems to be opening._

_-__Mickey_

**(A/N: END OF CODED SPOILERS)**

**TO SEE A POSTER AND LOGO OF THE FIC GO TO THEEPICHILL(dot)DEVIANTART(dot)COM**

**Author 1: There is the prologue, complete with theme song and the ending video to Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep. Hi I'm Rockabilly2000**

**Author 2: And I am Kailyn.**

**Together: And this is our Amazing Horse Fuun Saiki!**

**Fuun Saiki: You guys suck!**

**Rockabilly: Whatever spaz. This fic has been under plot construction for months…**

**Kailyn: and you guys get to enjoy it, as long as Rockabilly can keep up with updates!**

**Rockabilly: I hate you.**

**Kailyn: Take it away Fuun Saiki!**

**Fuun Saiki: This Kingdom Hearts fan fiction will take place over 26 worlds, several of them not worlds per say, but separate realms from the three in the canon games, sometimes involving time travel. Only three will actually be Disney worlds. 5 will be KH worlds, 13 will be from various games, movies and anime that these jerks consider to be fairly popular. 2 worlds are original that they pulled out of their asses for s**** and giggles.**

**Rockabilly: Language Fuun Saiki, language!**

**Kailyn: We will sing the song!**

**Fuun Saiki: Don't you dare!**

**R&K: LOOK AT MY HORSE, MY HORSE IS AMAZING, GIVE IT A LICK, IT TASTES JUST LIKE RAISINS-!**

**Fuun Saiki: THE AUTHORS OF THIS FIC OWN NOTHING IN IT EXCEPT FOR OCs AND TWO WORLDS!**

**I HATE YOU ALLLLLLLLLL!**


	2. Chapter 1: Ayumi Gearfried

_**Kingdom Hearts**_

_**Shattered Unity**_

_**Chapter 1**_

_**Ayumi Gearfried**_

_**(HEY ALL QUICK MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHORS: THE FIRST FEW CHAPTERS ARE GOING TO BE A BIT SHORT, BUT WILL INCREASE IN LENGTH OVER TIME!)**_

_A sun rises above a small warm cityscape as the words East Crystal City appears in shimmering letters._

East Crystal City was a bustling metropolis with several surrounding suburbs and no knowledge of the outside worlds. It was known to be an advanced society, its main exports known to be its magnificent crystals, used in jewelry and decorations all over the small world. This region was well known for these crystals and named it's nation's capital, which was located in the eastern part of the country East Crystal City and built it around the mines themselves. To the north was North Crystal City, to the west, West Crystal City, and to the south was South Crystal City, these being known for the highest concentration of crystal growth and formation. This beautiful, wealthy, peaceful world was the home to a twelve year old girl named Ayumi Gearfried.

Ayumi was having a crappy day. She was failing math, her (soon to be) ex-friends had been spreading nasty rumors about her, _and _her hair was frizzy from the recent humidity. Not only that but she thought that the new guy with blue hair and freaky yellow and black eyes was following her. She got a million nasty vibes from him and he had the most horrifyingly _annoying_ laugh out there. What was his name? Kigara Kalin was it? Whatever.

Ayumi was a simply dressed girl. Short blonde hair with two long lockes that fell to her shoulders, glasses, a vest that was sky blue on the left side and white on the right, a dark red cap on her head and blue capris. She had her black book bag over her shoulder and was about half way home, when she felt a familiar presence. She turned around and there he was again. Blue hair, yellow eyes with black sclera. He was flipping a strange card with a brown swirl pattern on the back and humming to himself, staring right back at her with a sinister smirk.

He had appeared earlier that month, in her k-12th grade school, sitting a few rows down from her in _every class, _which was even odder seeing as he was seventeen and she was in middle school. He would stare at her constantly and when asked where he was from, he would give some half assed answer like "around" or "If I told you I would have to kill you". He rode around on a blue motorcycle with a wing of some kind attached to it. And that _laugh_. It made her shudder whenever he chuckled. She was nearing her house when she heard him cal her name.

"Hey Ayumi!" he called in a chilling voice.

She turned to glare at him.

"What do you want?" she growled. He chuckled as though holding back a storm of laughter.

"Behind you," he finally choked out.

She looked behind her again to be met with a horrible sight. It was three people… or what used to be people. Their skin had become a sickly, rotting black; as though it were peeling away and they had eyes of the brightest yellow. They had sharp claws and were holding black sword/key like weapons with red hand guards.

"What the hell?" she cried out, stumbling away from the creatures.

Kigara let out a blast of high pitch laughter.

"I hope my friend's didn't give you too much of a scare princess!" he cried out.

"Friends?" she yelled back, never taking her eyes off of the creatures.

"Why these are Heartbournes my dear princess," he said, taking a few steps towards her. "They are what happen when the very essence of human life is steeped in total darkness."

"What do you mean?" she asked again, voice laced with fear.

"When the heart is infected," said the blue haired stalker. "The darkness in it takes new life. "The body takes on a new will when its heart goes missing. When the soul is infected with darkness… everything else is too."

He motioned towards his "friends".

"Now Princess," he continued. "I need you to come with me."

"Why?" Ayumi whimpered. "And why do you keep calling me princess?"

"My master awaits. I am always there to please him."

Before he could approach further a new voice rang out.

"And I will be there to stop him Kigara!"

Kigara snarled and in a flash he was holding a weapon. It looked like the arm of some great creature with runes carved into it.

"AND MY KEYBLADE, 'FIST OF APU' WILL SMASH YOUR FACE IN LIGHT BOY!" He screamed, looking around wildly for this invisible opponent.

His card seemed to float from his grip and landed at Ayumi's feet. Curiosity got the best of her and she picked it up. On it was a picture of a massive stone creature with glowing blue runes covering its body, with a caption that said: "Earthbound Immortal Ccapac Apu".

"DRO P THAT!" shouted Kigara, seeming to fly at her with blinding speed. She dropped the card, held up her hands and screamed.

There was no pain. Just the sound of metal clanging against metal. In between them was a boy with wild, spiky brown hair, a blindfold over his left eye, a black black jacket and long pants with slightly oversized shoes. He had belts and pouches on various parts of his outfit. In his right hand he held a black weapon, also a Keyblade by the looks of it, and in the left hand a shorter white one. He had them in an X shape over his head, blocking the strike from Kigara.

"MOKONA NOW!" he shouted over the screeches of the black things. The two of them pushed apart and the new boy was facing off with Kiryu and three Heartbourne.

"Sure thing Sora!" cried a little white rabbit… thing from inside the coat. It hopped out, scurried over to Ayumi and sat on her shoulder. Then it spoke to her. "Alright Princess you will be flying the Mokona Modoki private first class airlines! I will be your pilot today keep your hands and feet—"

"NOW!" shouted the boy, carving through one Heartbourne like it was nothing, as it vanished in a puff of black smoke.

"Alright, alright Mister Grumpy Keyblade Master!" Mokona seemed to inhale all of the air around him and he gave a shout that sounded something like "KaaaaaaaaPuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!" before a portal opened up from above them and huge white wings sprouted from the thing's back. A huge magical circle opened up beneath them. The brown haired boy shot lightning from his Keyblade at Kigara, hit his mark and dove into the circle before everything became a blur.

_**2 months ago**_

Sora was sitting on the trunk of the paopu tree, waiting for something, anything to happen. It had been three days since they received the note and Sora was getting antsy.

Kairi walked up behind him quietly, and was about to push him off the trunk as a joke when he jumped up, with perfect balance, and the Oathkeeper Keyblade appeared in his hand. She screamed thinking that he was about to slice her in half, but instead he sliced a paopu fruit from the branch and tossed it in the air. The Keyblade vanished in a shower of bright sparkles and he caught the fruit in his hand. Grinning he crouched down, still standing on the trunk and looked her in the eye.

"Ohhhh!" she cried, stomping her foot in irritation. "Don't do that!"

"You started it," Sora countered, sitting on the trunk and tossing the fruit up in the air. She caught it and sat on the trunk next to him. He sat down with her, both facing the ocean.

"Soooo," she said, staring out into the blue waters.

"What?" he replied, looking at her.

"How soon will it be?"

"Until I leave?"

"Until we have to say goodbye again."

Sora raised an eyebrow and smiled.

"You gonna miss me?"

"Of course," she grinned back at him. "But Riku will miss you more!"

"I heard that!" said their silver haired friend from the bridge behind them. He walked up to the pair with his hands in his pockets. "And she's wrong."

"What Riku?" said Sora. "You want me gone so badly?"

"Nope," said Riku, with a smirk. "I want you out of here quickly. Then I can have the whole island to myself."

Riku stood in front of Sora and Kairi, with his hands in his pockets.

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"Yep. This Island isn't big enough for the both of us anymore. Only one of us can stay here and I have seen enough of the outside world."

Sora hopped down from the trunk and walked up to his childhood friend.

"What does that mean?" he asked.

"Come on Sora!" Riku said flipping his hair. "You are the Keyblade Master! You are the hero here! It is your duty to protect the worlds! To protect me and Kairi, Tidus, Wakka, Selphie, Donald, Goofy, all of us!"

Sora was taken aback by his friend's words.

"What do you mean?"

Riku chuckled at his friend and put a hand on his shoulder.

"I was the villain once upon a time, but I was able to redeem myself. My part in this story is over. It's your time to be the hero Sora. I will watch over Kairi for you."

Riku turned around to leave and Sora was going to respond when something stopped him. He looked carefully at Riku and saw a faint, but dark aura. He could sense—

"What are you jealou s of Riku?" He asked his friend taking a step forward. Kairi, who had been listening intently, cocked her head in curiosity. Sora Watched as Riku stopped and glanced at him. Riku's eyes flicked, so quickly that Sora almost missed it, towards Kairi.

Sora's eyes widened, but he dared not look at Kairi lest she find out. He sighed deeply. He knew that something like this would happen. Riku had always been the jealous type. Arrogant, envious and overly competitive. Then again Sora alwayshad that competitive side to him.

"Riku—"Sora started to say, almost feeling guilty for what his friend was feeling.

Riku smirked and snatched the paopu fruit from Kairi ("Hey!"), and tossed it to Sora.

"If you don't," said the older boy. "Then I will!"

With that he laughed and ran across the bridge. Sora looked at the fruit in his hand and scratched the back of his head.

"Some goodbye that was," he muttered. He sensed a bright aura and looked up to see Kairi directly in front of him. She looked less than pleased.

"What did Riku mean by that?" she demanded haughtily. Sora stuttered and looked away, knowing exactly what he meant.

"Well?"

Sora sighed, knowing that he had to say it now before it was too late. He turned away and looked out towards the ocean.

"Hey Kairi, remember when you asked me to never change?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, I guess that I broke that promise."

**Yay.**


	3. Chapter 2: Lucid Key Elite

_**(A/N Time for some explanations. What happened to the King and pals? Kairi? Riku? Who is the Elite really? Why is Ayumi Gearfried so important? Why am I asking you? All the answers and more in Chapter 2 of)**_

_**KINGDOM HEARTS**_

_**SHATTERED UNITY**_

_**Chapter 2**_

_**Lucid Key Elite**_

_**2 months ago**_

"Hey Kairi, you remember when you asked me to never change?" asked Sora, looking into the girl's blue eyes.

"Yeah?"

"Well, I guess that I broke that promise."

"What do you mean?"

He looked down into the paopu fruit he held in his hand. He walked to the edge of the islet.

"I mean I haven't just changed as in I got taller or stronger or I became the Keyblade master. I mean I changed in a way that confuses me. When we got separated that first time we were all great friends and I loved it. All we wanted was the ability to travel the worlds. We got it I guess but it nearly cost our friendship or worse our lives. And what I want to say to you might cost something even deeper than that."

Kairi walked over to Sora and hugged him from behind.

"I know," she said into his back. "And Sora I know what you want to say… and I lo—"

"Isn't that sweet," said a cold voice behind them.

Sora turned around to see an odd sight. Three men in black robes with swirling golden heart shapes on the front. The first thing to come to his mind was the Organization he and Riku had silenced a year ago, but he immediately shoved those thoughts aside when he sensed an aura of darkness and an incredible power emanating from the men.

He opened his right hand in preparation of summoning the Keyblade and dropping the fruit, but the man up front, the second tallest raised a hand.

"Please young man there is no need for that," he said. He had a deep, but smooth voice resembling that of a man in his late fifties to early sixties. "We have come only to speak with you."

Sora glared at him.

"Most people with aura's that dark have never stopped to speak before," he growled. "Kairi, stay behind me."

_**(Reccommended song: Amaranth by Nightwish)**_

"My name is Cauldishek," said the old man, lowering his hood to reveal shoulder length white hair and a menacing smile. "I am a Keyblade master like you. We need your help. Where is the one called Riku?"

Sora took a step back. More Keybearers? Riku? His glare returned a second later. These guys were bad news.

"I don't buy it," he spat. Oathkeeper flashed into his left hand and Oblivion into his right. "Leave this place now or I will make you!"

"Tisk tisk," said the man called Cauldishek spreading his hands. "So we need to use force to get what we want? Oh well. Feratu. Kigara. Go."

The shortest man on his left side spread his arms wide and released the most vile cackle Sora had ever heard in his entire life. The man on the right grunted in amusement and spread his arms as well. Then a dark smoke spread over their right hands as Keyblades appeared. Sora's eyes widened in horror.

"Kairi!" he shouted. "RUN!"_  
_

Kairi did the only thing she could and jumped into the water below and waded to shore as fast as she could.

Cauldishek was about to run across the bridge but was cut off by a certain silver haired boy. At first he was shocked by the sudden appearance, but then realization seemed to hit him and he grinned insanely as a long, darker version of Photon Debugger flashed into his hand.

The other two rushed Sora and he ran to meet them.

Sparks flew as Sora leapt into the air and clashed his Keyblades with theirs. The three dropped to the ground and began to battle again.

The one known as Feratu wielded a Keyblade resembling Riku's Way to Dawn, but demon wings instead of angel wings and purple instead of red. There was a bat where the eye is on Riku's. It was much much longer and thinner, with a more elegant feel in the structure of the wing shape. Its keychain resembled a red face mask._  
_

The one known as Kigara made a swipe at Sora's side but was parried. The three went into a fray of slashes and sparks as Sora danced in between the two acrobatically, parrying their strikes and slashing at their openings.

Sora was having trouble finding an opening with Feratu however. This man had unbelievable skill and was blocking all of Sora's strikes easily. Kigara was easier as he seemed to match Sora rather evenly.

Riku attempted to strike at Cauldishek who parried with amazing calmness, his smile turned into a deep scowl. His left hand was behind his back and he went on the offensive. He made several spinning strikes and Riku jumped up to parry in midair.

Riku was about to counter attack, but Cauldishek yelled out "AREOGA!"and blew him across the bridge.

Sora was getting tired. The two he was fighting were gaining the upper hand. He parried a blow from Feratu, who, being much stronger than Sora, shoved him away. Sora tried to regain his balance, but Kigara slashed him in the back and he fell to one knee with a cry of pain.

Kairi watched in fear and awe at the power of these newcomers from across the beach. Riku struggled to stand up, and he saw Kigara about to deal a finishing blow to Sora.

"Look out!" he shouted. Sora writhed in pain as he lay there, with only the sound of Kigara's wicked cackle echoing in his ears. Kigara yanked off his hood to reveal his blue hair and black and yellow eyes.

"Hyahahahahaha! This is the ultimate thrill, Sora! Let me hear you cry out for mercy and grovel at my feet!" He screeched as he raised his Keyblade above Sora. Sora flinched as he expected pain, but noticed that there was none. He opened his eyes and saw Kigara's blade being blocked by a rather familiar shield.

"You ok there Sora?" Goofy asked in concern. Sora was surprised beyond belief.

"Goofy! How'd you get here?" He was saying as he slowly got up. Before Goofy could answer, Kigara decided to interrupt the reunion.

"Worthless cur, get out of my sight!" he shouted as he swung with enough force to knock Goofy into a tree.

"Goofy!" Sora shouted, but was cut off when he noticed that Goofy had stopped just before slamming into the delicate paopu tree.

"What?" Kigara was enraged. Suddenly Feratu and Cauldishek flew toward the battle, and a bolt of lightning struck down right in front of them.

"Beating us won't be that easy!" Donald said, as he continued to throw spells left and right.

Kigara spat at Sora. "What difference does it make now that there are just a few more bugs to crush?" He started to glow with a dark purple aura, and his voce got a more serious tone. Riku stood, gripped his Keyblade and tried to rush Kigara to the ground. Kigara moved his hand right in front of Riku's attack, and it stopped without even touching his hand. His yellow eyes glowed with hatred and conviction.

"Here it is…" Cauldishek said to Feratu. "Kigara's true nature."

"Shall we leave him be for now?" Feratu asked, pulling down his hood to reveal pale skin and blonde hair with blood red eyes.

"Yes, for now…we'll observe." He replied. Kigara's insane laughter screeched to the point where everyone but his allies were covering their ears in agony.

"Sora, I'm going to show you what it means to feel pain!" He shouted as he rushed at Sora with an inhuman speed.

_**(Reccomended Song: Everdream by Nightwish)**_

Sora quickly shouted "Donald! Goofy!" and a flash of light momentarily blinded Kigara, and Sora donned his silver outfit as Oathkeeper and Oblivion circled around him. Riku summoned his keyblades Way to Dawn and the one that Kairi borrowed from him before, Destiny Place, and threw them to Sora.

"Catch!" he yelled. Sora caught them and rechained them. Sora now held the Ultima in his right and the Fenrir in his left.

"I hope you're prepared to face me. I won't allow you to harm my friends any longer," Sora spoke with a more serious tone. Kigara did nothing more than laugh.

Riku only stared in awe and wondered "What is this strength? He wasn't this strong before…" Sora vanished and reappeared behind Kigara.

"This is it," Sora said as he swung with both keyblades in a cross-strike. Kigara parried both attacks and swung at Sora. As his keyblade slashed through the air, it radiated the same color as Kigara's earlier aura and somehow increased in size. Oblivion and Oathkeeper moved in the way to block, but the overwhelming size kept growing and growing…Sora was pushed back and sent flying.

"Hyahahahaha! How does it feel to be powerless?" Kigara's Fist of Apu shrunk back to its normal size. Sora grunted and flew towards him at a blinding speed. Kigara found himself on the wrong end of 4 Keyblades, and began ducking and weaving to avoid the slashes. Sora's attacks became relentless, and the insane wielder did his best to dodge each strike. Sora caught him though, and launched Kiryu into the air.

"Pretty good light boy!" He shouted as Sora flew toward him. He was about to be struck down right there, but as the Keyblades drew closer; he called upon his dark power and shouted.

"Don't be smug!" He repelled Sora with a sudden wave of dark energy, and started bombarding him with attacks, attempting to force Sora headfirst into the ground near the great tree. As Kiryu made his finishing swing, Sora hooked the oblivion to Kiryu's robe and reversed the situation. Sora swung Kiryu around and threw him to the ground. Sora hovered there to catch his breath.

"How can anyone be this powerful?" groaned Sora, wiping a trickle of blood near his chin.

"He is my greatest experiment," called Cauldishek from below. "I am a man of science you see. I found Kigara, took him in, granted him a Keyblade and taught him almost everything he knows. I had him fight off hordes of creatures to hone his abilities, and I added in a few of my own to truly harness the power of darkness."

Riku stood and gripped his shoulder in pain.

"Who are you people?" He gasped.

Feratu pulled down his hood to reveal pale bluish skin with blonde hair in a pony tail and yellow eyes hidden behind a red mask.

"We are the Lucid Key Elite," he said in a cool voice, flipping his hair. "Dark Keyblade warriors and disciples to Master Xehanort."

"Xehanort?" cried Riku. "What does he have to do with this?"

Just as the words left his mouth, there was an explosion from the beach below.

KHKHKHKHKH

Sora cried out in horror as he saw the blur that was Kigara rushing towards Kairi, who was running towards the dock. Sora glowed silver for a second and vanished to reappear in front of Kigara. Kigara saw him, roared and made a downward strike with his once again giant Keyblade. Sora let go of the Keyblades in his hands and the four he possessed simultaneously blocked the strike. Sora cried out in pain as the mental links gripping the blades buckled. Sand exploded around them as he was forced downwards into the ground.

"Sora!" cried Kairi. Tears streamed down her face. She couldn't see anything through the cloud of sand and dust obstructing her vision. Just then Donald stumbled out of the cloud in a haze.

"Y-your majesty," he croaked, and then he hit the floor. When the cloud finally cleared Sora and Goofy were on the ground struggling to stand. In between the enormous Fist of Apu was a shield of light… and King Mickey!

"Well gee whiz you guys," Said the King, his D Kingdom Key at the ready. "I just sent these guys to pick you up and you turn the islands into a battle field!"

"Your majesty," Sora coughed.

"You've done well Sora," said the King. "Rest now."

Then it went dark.

KHKHKHKH

Riku saw that Cauldishek and Feratu were distracted by this twist of events, and made to cross the bridge, but stumbled. Feratu leapt up and over the boy and landed right on Riku's left hand. The blonde man squatted down and looked Riku in the eye.

"We can't let you get away now can we vessel," he hissed.

"Vessel?" gasped Riku.

Cauldishek smirked and turned his attention to the two men near the bridge.

"Your heart," he said. "Does it not contain the heartless of Ansem Seeker of Darkness?"

"I sealed him away long ago."

"We need you Riku."

Riku was taken aback by this.

"Me? Why?"

Cauldishek shoved Feratu off of Riku and pulled him to his feet by the scruff of his vest.

"You hold our master within the depths of your heart boy! Allow us to take him out of you and we will reward you beyond all belief!"

"And what if I say no?" Riku replied with a dangerous edge to his voice.

"You will receive the most painful experience of your young life."

"You gonna torture me?"

"We have been watching you grow for a long time Riku," said Cauldishek with an even greater edge of hostility. "We know about the girl. Come with us… and no harm will come to her."

"Don't you DARE touch her!"

"Then become our toy Riku. Allow us to give our dear master the rebirth he deserves."

"Well, if you leave her alone… what about Sora?"

"We will take him out of the picture, and then the princess will be all yours."

"But he's my—"

"Friend? You won't need friends where you are going. You can even bring the girl if you want."

Riku punched Cauldishek in the jaw, releasing his grip and summoned Way to Dawn from where Sora was laying.

"Lies! We've been through too much to be separated by such lowly garbage such as you...our battle doesn't end here..."

Riku formed a Dark Firaga in his left hand and stroked it along the Keyblade. The Way to Dawn began to glow with an ominous purple flame. He made to attack Cauldishek who had a visage of pure rage, but his wrist was caught in mid swing.

"What a petty technique," Scoffed Feratu as he held Riku in a crushing grip.

"Shut up! What do you know about me?" Riku shouted, as The Way to Dawn's dark flames shot at Feratu's face in the shape of a flaming purple dragon.

Feratu let go of his hold on Riku, and quickly blocked the flame attack with his cape. When he drew the cape back, Riku kicked him in the face, yelling back "You know nothing about me!"

Feratu hissed in anger and pain.

"You think you're so tough just because of a few lucky shots you little brat?" Feratu vanished and reappeared...all around Riku. Feratu appeared in every direction Riku could see...he couldn't tell where the real Feratu was.

"I'll end your pathetic struggle boy!" Feratu taunted as thin Keyblade thrusts came from all directions. Riku was getting hit left and right, and had to do some quick thinking. He slammed a dark firaga into the sand, blowing it everywhere and slowing down the Elite.

"Is that all you know? Dirty tricks? I'll have to teach you the meaning of elegant pain!" He was seriously enraged. Riku smirked as he made a rushing swing toward Feratu, hoping to end the fight here. Feratu sidestepped Riku, and then hit him in the back of the neck with the blunt end of his Keyblade.

As Riku slowly fell out of consciousness, Feratu coninued to pound on Riku without mercy.

"Well, had enough yet boy?" Feratu was clearly in total control of the fight. Riku had little strength left to go on. Yet, when Feratu was about to make one last kick to Riku's gut, Riku caught Feratu's foot.

"What? How can you still move?" Feratu was shocked. Riku grunted as dark firaga flames flowed from his hands and onto Feratu's body.

"I'm not going to lose...to some poor excuse for a fighter like you!" Riku shouted.

Cauldishek watched the battle continue on...and with Riku's last move he said but one word. "Fascinating."

KHKHKHKH

"You've done well Sora. Rest now."

Kigara laughed even harder at the sight of Mickey.

"You're their leader? Oh this is hilarious! What a joke!"

Micky's face turned serious.

"You hurt my friends this badly and all you can do is laugh? How could you...?"

Kigara stopped laughing his head off long enough to answer.

"It's pretty simple, really...I just crushed them!" He continued his hideous cackle for what felt like hours. Suddenly he was interrupted by a Keyblade to the face.

Mickey told him in the most frightening way possible, "I may not be able to finish you off...but you're going to feel pain far worse than what you did to them." and with that, Mickey flew around Kigara like a small flea. Jumping and spinning about, he unleashed a barrage of strikes that Kigara couldn't see them coming at all.

"How can such a small rodent be so powerful?" he groaned as he continued being bashed and bruised.

"You must be feeling the hurt right about now...you couldn't possibly feel any remorse for what you were trying to do. I suppose this will have to suffice," Mickey then sent Kigara flying with one powerful swing and Kigara shot towards Cauldishek and Feratu.

Kigara was screaming and yelling intelligibly, and Mickey followed up by firing a good 15 Holy spells in Kigara's direction, causing a large explosion of dust and light.

Feratu saw Kigara and the spells just a moment too late. Before he could react, he was sent flying upward, and then landed down in the sand headfirst. Riku, who had already passed out, went flying like a ragdoll.

Cauldishek on the other hand protected himself from Mickey's blast.

"What an interesting power...I must be sure to add this to my research..." he said and with a snap of his fingers, summoned enough Heartbourne to cover the Islands in a seeping darkness. "Go my creatures...I must collect very important data from this subject."

He waved his hand, and the Heartbourne all concentrated towards Mickey and the unconscious group. Just as they seemed to swarm, Mickey held his Keyblade straight up, and a blinding light shone.

"FLARE!"

All the Heartbourne stopped, being momentarily blinded. Mickey took it upon himself to easily destroy these dark creatures, and then turned his attention to Cauldishek, who appeared to be writing notes of the battle.

"Ah, so the mouse wants the cheese. Too bad you'll end up just like another lab rat." Cauldishek said as he called forth his Keyblade. Mickey jumped and swung in what looked like 5 different directions at once, yet Cauldishek easily parried every strike Mickey tried to make. "Come now, is this really all the strength you can muster? You'll need a lot more power in order to be my test subject."

Cauldishek waved his free hand, and a Heartbourne dove straight at Mickey.

"It'll take more than that to beat me!" Mickey cut through the Heartbourne like a hot knife through butter. He then started launching Holy spells with the firing rate of a machine gun. For each spell thrown, a Heartbourne countered. Eventually Cauldishek grew tired of this, and said

"Let's put an end to this…" as he struck the Keyblade into the sand, meteors appeared out of a portal over his head and started to fly down towards Mickey. Mickey knew that being hit by even one of those might take him out, so he lifted his Keyblade straight up, and a green light flashed.

"Take my ultimate spell on for size!" Mickey shouted as he launched it forward, where it would absorb the blow of Cauldishek's attack.

"Fascinating…" Cauldishek said. He wasted no time though, and took advantage of the distraction to grab Mickey by the throat. As he held Mickey up in midair, Mickey managed to choke out a few words.

"You…can't win. Even if we fail here…you will be stopped." Mickey was finding it harder and harder to breathe. He did the last thing he could, and tried to toss one more Holy spell in Cauldishek's face, but Cauldishek found the level of the attack easily laughable. It hit with no effect, and King Mickey fell unconscious.

Cauldishek threw the mouse over his shoulder and walked over to where his would-be apprentice and ally, who were brushing themselves off and scoffed at them. Then he crossed the beach to where Sora was just waking up from his stupor. Kairi ran over and grabbed Oathkeeper from Sora's side and took a poor stance. Sora groaned, stood up and held Oblivion in front of him. Cauldishek sighed in annoyance.

"See, now look what you did," he said. "You could have avoided all this senseless pain had you just come nicely. Perhaps you enjoy pain and fear? Do you like the feeling of powerlessness and despair? If so...then I shall gladly provide...you will both make for some very... _fascinating_...experiments..."

Cauldishek waved his hand over Kairi's eyes and she fell to the ground, fast asleep. Sora swung Oblivion feebly but collapsed as well. Cauldishek opened a Dark Corridor and began tossing them inside. Feratu walked over with Riku over his shoulder, and Kigara followed closely.

"Soon my friends," He chuckled. "We will receive the power our master promised us so long ago."

**Well there is Chapter 2. R&R.**

**The Lucid Key Elite are based on the characters of many video games anime and movies, but most of them can be considered OCs. Here are some short bios.**

**CAULDISHEK**

**Cauldishek is based on the character Caulder from the video game **_**Advanced Wars: Days of Ruin**_** for Nintendo DS. He was an insane scientist, so mad that he cloned himself and imbued that clone with all of his memories, personality and insanity. The clone then performed its first experiment: murdering the original Caulder in order to see what it is like to watch himself die. The clone, being an exact replica tricked Caulder's Keyblade, Photon Destroyer, into thinking he was the original, changed his name to Cauldishek and is now the Leader of the mysterious group the Lucid Key Elite. His favorite spell is Meteor Rain, reminiscent of his home world which was battered by relentless meteor showers and is currently in a state of World War. He was Master Xehanort's first apprentice.**

**He is voiced by Ron Perlman (Slade from Teen Titans and Hellboy.)**

**KIGARA**

**Kigara is based on Kiryu Kyosuke from **_**Yu Gi Oh 5Ds**_**. He can be considered even more insane than his master Cauldishek. His favorite hobbies are playing a card game called Duel Monsters and riding his custom motorcycle. He traded his humanity when he was young for power granted by Cauldishek's experiments. He could be considered Caulder's apprentice, though Caulder considers him nothing more than a test subject. His prized possession is his ultra rare Earthbound God Ccpac Apu card. He even named his Keyblade after it. No one knows much about his world of origin except that its society revolves around the ancient game of Duel Monsters.**

**He is voiced by Marc Diraison (Voice of Kiryu's English Dub counterpart Kalin Kessler.)**

**FERATU**

**Feratu is based on Myotismon, the vampire Digimon from **_**Digimon Adventure**_**, though in this story he is (mostly) human. No one knows his true origins just that he once trained under Master Xehanort long ago. His Keyblade is Grisly Wing.**

**He is voiced by Richard Epcar (Voice of Myotismon, Ansem Seeker of Darkness (Kingdom Hearts 2) and Madara Uchiha from Naruto Shippuden)**


	4. Chapter 3: Revival of the Dark Master

_**Now small children, adults, fangirls, fanboys, and all of our reviewers!**_

_**Welcome to the conclusion of the flashback story!**_

_**In**_

_**KINGDOM HEARTS**_

_**SHATTERED UNITY**_

_**Chapter 3**_

_**Revival of the Dark Master**_

When Sora finally awoke he was in a world of pain. He was lying on his back in the dirt. He heard voices all around him. The slash that boy had made on his back was burning. He opened his eyes. The light hurt so he sapped them back shut. He groaned. Someone was speaking to him. He didn't care. When he opened his eyes again he looked up. His vision was cloudy, but he saw what seemed to be tall… somethings all around him. Grass?

He tried to sit up but received a swift kick to the gut. He tried to cry out but his throat was too dry. Instead his ribs just hurt like a moogle whose pom-pom had been cut off. He fell back down, gasping for breath. He assumed he was in a desert due to all the dry air. His vision cleared up and so did his hearing.

"Don't damage the subject Trix," He heard Cauldishek's voice say. "The master will be most displeased if his favorite apprentice were to be injured."

"Sorry, but I thought this rabid lil' twit was gonna bite me," said a crudely accented woman.

"You can be so vile," said a male voice he didn't recognize. It was deep, thick and raspy.

"Go eat a pile of flaming dog—"

"Please Trix, not in front of our guests," said a second female voice. This one was thick and sounded bored.

"Can we just get this over with?" said a younger man, who sounded just as bored, and slightly irritated.

"Come on babe," said a teen girl. "You can wait a little while longer."

"Don't call me that!"

"I just can't wait to see master again!" said another man, who sounded very energetic.

"Yes, it has been a long time for you hasn't it Sakaki?" Cauldishek stated in a longing tone. "As it has for a few of us. You met our master several times, didn't you boy?"

Sora realized he was being addressed but was too shocked by his surroundings. Sticking up from the ground were… Keyblades. Thousands and thousands of Keyblades.

"It seems he is shocked by this place sir," said Feratu from nearby. "I don't believe he's ever seen so many Keyblades in one place."

"Did he think that they were the only ones? What a moron!" cried out Kigara.

Sora's lips were brushed by something. It was a girl with raven hair, about his age, holding a cup of water.

"Drink this," she said soothingly. He did not sense the darkness that he did from the other nine presences. He accepted the water and chugged it down, but he found it not to be water, but a hi-potion. He felt the wound on his back fade away, and his ribs no longer hurt. He drank the rest as his energy returned and he nodded his thanks to the girl.

He stood up and rubbed his eyes to be met with ten people in the black robes with golden hearts. A few feet away, his friends were bound separately and gagged. He gave a start and glared at Caulder, but knowing he was badly outmatched, did not draw his weapons.

"What's going on?" he demanded, taking a step forward. "What did you do to my friends?"

"Be calm," said a man with long brown hair and a goatee. "They are not harmed, beyond what happened at the battle on the beach."

"Yeah!" said a red head with goggles on her forehead. "So cool it loser!"

"How about you all shut up," mumbled a guy with green hair.

"You tell him Kain!" said the red head.

"You too!" he shot back.

"Hey Azulong!" said the woman who was obviously Trix, her hair thick and matted, her face slightly sunken, as she addressed the man with the goatee. "'Ow bout ya burn these twits inta next week!"

"So uncivilized," grunted the man, with a small smile. "I'll do it later."

"Krysnis, Kajime," said Cauldishek, addressing the red head with goggles and the girl who had healed Sora. "Bring me the package, and Kajime, you untie Riku. It is time."

"Yes master," said Kajime. The two girls ran in separate directions. Kajime cut Riku's ropes and helped him to his feet carefully. She did a weak cure spell to wake him up, and she carried him on her shoulder to Cauldishek's feet. Krysnis returned with a long object wrapped in cloth.

"Because of you Sora," said Cauldishek, slowly unwrapping the object. "Xemnas was destroyed, and we nearly lost hope of reviving our lost master ever again. Then we found Riku."

He tossed aside the cloth to reveal a wicked looking Keyblade. Sora stopped breathing from the oppressive dark power emanating from the weapon. Cauldishek stuck the Keyblade into the ground and Kajime brought Riku over.

"What are you doing with him?" shouted Sora, opening his hand in preparation for battle. Cauldishek began pacing back and forth, looking into the sky.

"If you remember, our friend Riku here holds the Heart of Xehanort within his own. But you see, Xehanort was not always the young scientist you knew him as. At one point he was a mighty Keyblade Master, and he was very old. So in order to see his plans into fruition, he possessed a young wielder named Terra. But, the plan backfired when he was attacked by Terra's friend and he lost his memory, becoming the Xehanort you know today. Therefore we must awaken our Master's memories within Riku, thus reviving him and beginning our universal conquest! I'm sure you are wondering where we have been all this time… to answer this question all I'm going to say is that we have been in the shadows, watching the worlds until the time was right for us to strike! Twelve years ago my master came to me and said 'Cauldeishek I am taking Vanitas, my new apprentice to see Eraqus. When I return I will be more powerful than ever before, and my body will have regained its former youth! He failed in that mission. But today, we, the secret society of Dark Wielders of the Keyblade, the Lucid Key Elite, who have been the ultimate secret of Master Xehanort have returned and using Riku, the Princess of Heart and the Princess of Soul we will have everything we have ever desired! We will reign supreme and this Realm of Light will be wiped out for ETERNITY!"

"Sora!" cried out a squeaky voice. Mickey was awake! "When you get out of here, go find Yen Sid! He'll lead you to Aqua and the Princess of Soul—AHH!"

The small King had been kicked in the face by Kigara. Cauldishek spun on Riku.

"Grip the handle," barked the old man. Riku did so reluctantly, staring at Sora. Sora looked him in the eyes and gulped. He knew that look.

He looked at the Dark Wielders around him and saw that they were watching Cauldishek and Riku intently. He slowly began inching towards his other friends. He looked back at the Elites and saw the girl who helped him throw a glance his way and a barely noticeable nod. He looked near his friends and saw that the knife she had used to cut Riku free was sitting unattended to next to Mickey.

Sora bounded towards it, but was tripped, and he fell to the ground. A familiar arm-shaped Keyblade struck the ground in front of him.

"Kyeheheheheh," chuckled Kigara menacingly. "Don't do anything you'll regret later light boy."

Sora glared at him and stood up. Sora looked past him to see that Riku was gripping the Keyblade tightly, and looking at the ground.

"Riku don't," he called over.

"Take care of her!" shouted Riku, not looking up at him. Sora's expression hardened as Cauldishek spoke loudly.

"Friends! Comrades! Today is the day that we reclaim what is rightfully ours! We receive what was stolen from us by the wielders of Light! We shall finally get what we deserve! The UNIVERSE!"

He summoned his Keyblade into his hand, as did the others. They stood in a circle around Riku, who finally looked up at Sora. Sora could see what looked like tears, falling from his friends eyes. Sora had had enough. In a flash he had Fenrir in his left hand and Ultima in his right and charged at the circle of wielders in front of him. He leapt up into the air and arched the blades over his back ready to strike at the nearest Elites. Suddenly, he was repelled by a gust of magical wind as a dome of pure darkness erupted over Riku and the Elites!

Sora rushed over to his fallen friends and cut them all free with his Keyblades, and cast Curaga to awaken them. As Sora gathered his friends to escape, and ignoring their pleads for answers, he was suddenly kicked in the face by Kigara.

Mickey summoned his D Kingdom Key and stood in between the two. Then the Dome dispersed into a massive plume of dust, creating a massive sand storm that tipped many of the Keyblades around them, and the Lucid Key Elite joined Kigara, all with menacing smiles, save for Kajime, on their faces.

"Heheheheh," a deep rumbling laugh filled the air around them. "Hahahahahah…. HAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAH!"

"NO!" cried Mickey, as Sora stood to face this new enemy. "IT'S HIM! IT'S XEHANORT!"

"Sora, I'm scared!" said Kairi from behind him. "What happened to Riku?"

From the depths of the smoke that filled the air, out walked an old man, bald, hunched,with pointy ears and a goatee. Beside him walked Riku, who had a blank stare on his face. Suddenly, as they walked, the two seemed to glide together into a single entity.

The once bald old man now had shoulder length silver hair that framed his face, he walked straight with his shoulders back, and he looked no older than thirty years old.

He wore a white and black cloak with a red inner lining, a white shirt with two thin black belts, white gloves and calf-high black boots.

"Finally," He said longingly, extending his arms above his head. "After twelve years of wandering aimlessly through the darkness, I have returned! Finally, I will be able to rule the worlds and Darkness will reign supreme!"

"Where is he?" roared Sora, twirling his weapons in his hands. "What did you do with RIKU?"

The Elites raised their Keyblades in various battle stances, prepared to subdue, but the the revived and _young _Master Xehanort raised his hand.

"Now friends," he said. "There is no need for violence just yet. You see child, Riku is mine now. His body is mine."

**(Recommended Song: Bless the Child by Nightwish)**

Sora slammed his blades together creating a shower of sparks, and Mickey took his own stance.

"Then I guess I'm going to have to get you out of there! Now Mickey! Donald and Goofy protect Kairi!"

Sora went right Micky went left. The man pulled his own Keyblade and the Lucid Key Elite immediately split off in all directions to give them room to fight. Xehanort took a few steps forward and when they were nearly upon him he crouched and let out a massive roar, The entire landscape seemed to collapse on itself and massive pillars of earth erupted from the ground. Mickey was taken aback and stopped, but Sora, without thinking cast Aereoga around his legs and used it to spring himself up, and began running up the face of the cliff.

Xehanort smirked and cast Thundaga as bolts of lightning shot from his palm, nearly hitting Sora. Sora jumped off the side of the cliff and cast Reflega, absorbing the spell. He gathered the electricity into his Keyblades and threw it back at the Master, who put his left hand up, absorbing the spell back into his own body. Mickey appeared behind Xehanort and slashed, but the tall man warped out of sight, appearing on the side of the cliff, standing straight despite facing the sky, just standing at a ninety degree angle.

Sora pushed himself with another wins spell and flew just above the master, who released his invisible grip on the rock wall and started dodging Sora's strikes in mid air.

"EXPLOSION!" shouted Sora as 3 balls of light appeared around him and exploded outward, seeming to overtake the dark master.

Xehanort warped again and appeared in front of Mickey, who had been watching from the cliffs above.

"ULTIMA!" cried Mickey as the green light from before covered the sky above and seemed to wrap around the peak of the mountain.

"NOVA FLAME!"

KHKHKH

"I have to help them!" shouted Kairi, knocking Donald on his face, as she ran off with Goofy on her heels.

"You comin' Donald?" called the dog-knight.

"Wait for me!" squawked the duck-mage.

The three began to painstakingly climb the pillar of rock at a quick pace.

KHKHKH

Beneath the green energy a black flame erupted outward and enveloped Mickey's ultimate magic spell. When it cleared Mickey was panting slightly and Xehanort was smiling.

"It has indeed been a very long time since I have been able to do that one," he chuckled. "So Your Majesty. Tell me. Do you perhaps know where I might find Vanitas? I hear he has the X-blade and I am dying to try it out for myself."

"X-blade?" Mickey cocked his head in c_o_nfusion.

"You really don't remember? Pity. It could have saved your life."

The two began trading rapid blows, master to master. Xehanort kept his left arm behind his back as Mickey hopped around him, the only sound being the clashing of metal. A bright flash of light and a burst of dark smoke flashed whenever their weapons met. Mickey attempted a strike at Xehanort's head, but the Dark Master ducked underneath it and hopped away.

"Away!" he shouted as dark bullets of energy burst from his Keyblade. Mickey countered with Holy and their attacks exploded against eachother. When the smoke from the blasts cleared the two had lowered their weapons and stared at each other, Mickey with a dark glare and Xehanort with an amused smirk.

"So Xehanort," said Mickey hotly. "Are you going to stop foolin' around and kill me already, or what?"

Xehanort only chucked in response.

"So," continued Mickey. "Why have you returned after so many years? We defeated your Heartless and your Nobody. I can tell that you are at least three times as powerful as you were in your prime, seein as how you have two other hearts in there with ya!"

"So you remember Terra," Xehanort said finally. "But you forget Eraqus."

"The Keyblade Master?"

"I was able to get past Terra's wall of protection when I joined with Riku. After twelve years of fighting for control I now hold the strength of four Keyblade Masters!"

"What about your friends who brought you back? Who are they?"

"About forty years ago," he said, making elaborate hand gestures as he spoke. "After my own master passed and Master Yen Sid gave up his ability to wield the Keyblade I took an apprentice in secret. Several years later I took another. I trained them to wield Darkness like no other had before, and all the while Eraqus and Yen Sid remained blissfully unaware. These apprentices were named Caulder and Feratu. We began granting Keyblades to other potential wielders and we decided to form an organization. We called ourselves the Lucid Key Elite. An unfitting name for Masters of the Darkness, yes, but we were lucid enough to see that Darkness is the path to true power. As we grew in power we grew in number. A few died along the way due to various reasons, treachery and the sort. Then about fifteen years ago I ordered Caulder, or rather the clone you know named Cauldishek, to go underground and watch the worlds in secret. Do what you will on your own world, but do not draw attention to yourselves. Make plans, for when I gain the power of the X-blade we would destroy Eraqus, Yen Sid, and encase the Realm of Light in complete Darkness! My plans however, were disrupted by the blue haired girl Aqua, and my former apprentice Ventus, who overpowered Vanitas and caused me to lose my memories and my Keyblade. So, I became the apprentice of Ansem the Wise, opened the door to Darkness and became a Heartless and a Nobody. With my Nobody destroyed, my apprentices nearly lost hope of reviving me, but came up with a new plan. Following my orders of lying low they waited until you had all let your guard down, and using the memories within my fragile heart and the body of my own grandson, I am complete once more, regaining my youth and quadrupling in power!"

"Grandson?" Mickey gasped.

(Reccomended song Takehiko Yamada - Concert Paraphrase on ''Dearly Beloved'')

"Yes, you see I was born on Destiny Islands, and during my travels during my time as a Master for the Keyblade Order, I would often stop at home to visit my family and friends. Eventually I fell in love with a girl I had gone to school with before I met my master, and we had a child. Before I truly fell into Darkness I had a real family."

"So you gave it up for power?" shouted Sora, who had climbed back up the cliff in time to here the story. "You would possess your own grandson for Darkness? YOU WOULD BETRAY YOUR OWN FAMILY?"

"You obviously don't understand my motivations boy!"

"Sora!" shouted three voices. Kairi Donald and Goofy had made it and were running towards Sora.

"I'LL KILL YOU!"

Xehanort raised his Keyblade and prepared to strike when Final Form Sora appeared out of nowhere and attempted a kick at his abdomen. It missed and Xehanort countered with a kick of his own. Sora warped just in time, surprising Xehanort, who landed firmly on the ground and started blocking slash after slash from the constantly warping Sora. Xehanort scoffed and grabbed Sora by the throat as he made another pass.

"Who is this brat?" he mumbled as he got a good look at Sora's face for the first time. His eyes widened in shock as he recognized Sora. "Vanitas?"

Sora clawed at Xehanort's grip, dropping his Keyblades. He kicked as hard he could right into Xehanort's side, which, with his now enhanced strength caused the Master to loosen his grip enough for Sora to shake free and grab his Keyblades.

"Let's go Mickey!"

"Right!"

The two Keyblade wielders of light attacked at once, Sora going for a heavy hitting approach casting his energy attacks and striking at Xenahort with as much fury as he could muster while Mickey resumed his familiar style of evasion and quick attacks. Xehanort easily evaded their attacks and even humored them by allowing some of their hits to connect, just to show the difference in power.

"Is this really all you have to offer? I would have hoped for a better clown on my re-birthday" Xehanort taunted. Sora became furious as he increased the speed of his attacks. Just because he could, Xehanort caught one of Sora's keyblades and threw him while holding it. As Sora flew, Mickey ran in, swinging rapidly and with more power than before. Xehanort was truly in control of the battle. He moved along with Mickey's attacks, giving the illusion that he'd been hit.

"I gotcha!" Mickey shouted as he made a jumping attack downward. Sora had gotten back up and charged at Xehanort from the opposite direction, yelling

"Give Riku back!" they shouted as they approached closer,

"Think again!" shouted the Master, sticking his Keyblade into the ground with extreme force and he raised his hand, catching Mickey's keyblade. As he caught it, he used his free hand to shoot off a thundaga spell at Sora, only with more force than they could imagine. Mickey's eyes grew wide as Sora shouted in pain. Xehanort remained focused on Mickey as he spoke.

"You don't have the time to be worried about your friend here." Suddenly he blasted Mickey with a sheer cold wind, nearly freezing Mickey completely. He then lifted his other hand and flung Sora up into a short tornado. Sora crashed down to the ground, battered and bruised, he Donald and Goofy separating into three once more. Xehanort lifted up the now frozen Mickey, who he'd kept barely alive for the time being.

"Yes my Master?"

"Take the rodent would you? And do you mind telling me who this boy is?"

Sora curled into a ball and shut his eyes tightly, knowing that he was most likely doomed.

"The boy is called Sora," replied the mad Keyblade Master, waving his hand over Mickey's eyes, rendering him unconscious. "He is currently known as the 'Keyblade's Chosen One', and has the ability to link the Hearts of those who has crossed his path. It is my belief that at one point twelve years ago his heart made contact with Ventus, and after Ventus defeated Vanitas, both their hearts shattered and took refuge inside his."

"Is this why he resembles Vanitas?"

"That is my theory, yes."

"I see," he stroked his goatee thoughtfully."Well then I suppose the best thing for us to do it to extract our young friend isn't it?"

He summoned His Keyblade and sauntered up to Sora the smile on his face ever darkening. The other nine Elites came up behind him, running up the cliff at breakneck speed.

Xehanort pulled back his arm in preparation to stab Sora in the chest, and shoved it forward, until a pink mass suddenly threw itself on top of the injured boy. He stopped and lowered his weapon, raising an eyebrow in interest. The thing, obviously a teen girl, was covering Sora completely, and shaking heavily. Xehanort chuckled and prodded her in the side with his boot, causing her to whimper. At the noise he began to laugh.

"Gyahahahaha!" he roared. "What is this now? Who is this girl who would willingly take my Keyblade to her back instead of leaving the brat to his fate?"

"This is Kairi, Master," said Cauldishek. "She was once the princess of the Radiant Garden, and is one of the maidens of Pure Hearts, a Princess of Heart."

Xehanort's eyes widened at this and grabbed her by the shoulder, yanking her to her feet. She yelped in displeasure. He grabbed her by the chin and forced her to look him in the eyes.

"You truly are a beauty aren't you?" He said with a sadistic smile. "I can see why Riku is fighting me so hard right now."

Her eyes went even wider.

"R-Riku?"

'Of course dear child. Didn't you ever consider that Sora wasn't the only one in love with you?"

"Shut up!" Sora spat from his position in the dirt.

"What are you saying?" snapped Kairi, stepping back.

"Riku was in love with you Kairi. I am shuffling through his own memories as we speak!"

"X-XEHANORT!" wailed Sora as he writhed on the ground in pain in a futile attempt to stand. Kairi rushed to his aid.

"Oh how Riku pains at seeing you with his best friend! All he could ever think about is you. What are you doing on the Islands, are you okay, did Sora save you, when will he feel your warm embrace again? Riku once tried to kill Sora because he wanted you so badly."

Kairi jumped in shock at this.

"What?" she cried. No one ever told her this. "Sora is this true?"

"I'm sorry Kairi," he groaned, finally standing up. "Riku didn't want you to know."

Kairi's eyes softened.

"I want to know these things Sora."

"This isn't the time for—"

"This is a perfect time!" she declared, facing Xehanort and glaring at him. He only stared back in mild interest. "I want you to know this because without Mickey or Riku, you Donald and Goofy… we most likely aren't going to make it out of here alive."

"Kairi," Sora whispered, tears streaming down his eyes as death itself seemed to glare at him from all sides.

"I want you to know Sora… that I love you!"

She spun around and kissed him full as passionately as humanly possible, and they embraced each other, their tears mixing together.

"Touching," said Azulong from where he stood.

"Oh shut up!" groaned Trix, who averted her gaze.

Xehanort was watching the display however, with disgust and a slowly growing rage. Cauldishek glanced in between the kissing teens and his master.

"Get off of her!" shouted Xehanort in a voice that was not his own. He grabbed Kairi by the arm and swung her aside as he plunged his Keyblade into Sora's chest.

KHKHKHKH

In the distant desert an armored figure raised its head and whispered one word

"**Xehanort."**

KHKHKHKHKH

Within the darkness of Sora's heart, two boys, one with light caramel hair and a gold colored outfit and another with jet black hair and yellow eyes with strange armor, opened their eyes and whispered one word.

"**Xehanort."**

KHKHKHKHKH

In the Dark Meridian Aqua rose from her seat in the sand with the black clad man and shouted one word.

"**XEHANORT!"**

KHKHKH

**NEXT CHAPTER**

**TRUE WIELDER OF THE X-BLADE!**

**Tron's Database!**

**Trix**

Loosely based on Bellatrix Lestrange from Harry Potter, but a different character entirely. She has a crude accent, a cruder personality and a vile temperament. She hates Kigara more than the light itself, but only because he puts things in her bed. The world she comes from was destroyed long ago. She is incredibly powerful, almost enough to rival Cauldishek in his prime. Her Keyblade resembles numerous intertwining serpents and its teeth are just that: the fangs of a venomous snake. She calls it Parseltongue.

(She is voiced by Helena Bonham Carter)

**Azulong**

He was once the tyrant of a powerful empire, home to people who could manipulate fire, but his powers were robbed of him by a powerful warrior. He was imprisoned but later escaped with the help of the Elite. He was granted a magnificent Keyblade that resembles an extended Phoenix wing. He calls it the Phoenix King, after the title he lost when he was imprisoned.

He is voiced by Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker/Keyblade Master Eraqus)

**Sakaki**

Based on the character from .Hack G.U. Cauldishek's first apprentice and was taught a few things by Master Xehanort in his youth. He seems calm and collected at first, but when he is angered he has several inhuman transformations at his disposal. His Keyblade resembles Master Xehanort's with its axe-like head, but the shaft is a wide, solid broadsword shape with multiple runes dancing up the sides. It has an orange glow to it, but when he transforms, so does his weapon…

He is voiced by Crispin Freeman (Alucard from Hellsing, Kyon from the Melancholy of Haruhi Suzamiya)

**Kajime**

Based off of the character Kagura from Inuyasha. She was granted a Keyblade of Light before she was old enough to remember. After the Elite destroyed her home world when she was young, though they made it look like a Heartless attack, Caulder took her as his apprentice against her will. The only reason she doesn't fight back is because Caulder has placed a curse on her heart. If she, for any reason, betrays him or refuses to follow orders, her heart will shatter.

(She is voiced by Janyse Jaud (Kagura from Inuyasha)

**Kain**

A young man of few words, he joined the Lucid Key Elite to become stronger. He may embody the darkness, but he is only focused on becoming the perfect soldier. His Keyblade resembles a long old fashioned rifle with 3 bayonets for the teeth, and can fire spells at a much more rapid pace than Sora. His physical strength with the Keyblade itself is decent as well.

(Voiced by Richard Ian Cox- Inuyasha)

**Krisnys:**

A young, and rather flirtatious girl, she can often be found pissed off, but other times just really screwing around. She tends to come on to Kain, and occasionally says some dirty things to Sora, but all in all she does have the basic qualities needed for her to be in the elite. She is the organization's weakest member, but also the most level-headed. Just because she is the weakest does not mean her abilities can be discounted either.

Her Keyblade, Tranquil Fury is a bit short, but she makes up for this with her speed and flight abilities. When she needs more power her Keyblade will pulsate with darkness, and increase in length. At that point, her fighting changes to reflect a more calm and sadistic nature, rather than the normal pissed off rage she has on a regular basis.

(Voiced by Wendee Lee- Harui- Melancholy of Haruhi Suzamiya, Faye Valentine- Cowboy Bebop)

**Kamui**

A cool-headed member of the Elites, she maintains a dominant personality, and constantly reminds people that she's on top and in control. If even the slightest thing goes wrong according to her plans, she notices immediately, and orders a lesser member of the elite to go investigate. She's an individual who wields great power, but also feels the need to exercise it in the most malevolent

(Voiced by Tara Platt- Temari from Naruto)

ways possible. While she may be considered sick and twisted, she had always been this way. Her Keyblade Toxic Dusk resembles a Halberd of sorts, and as a result its true strength comes from its ability to corrupt nearly anything it pierces with darkness so strong, only a Princess of Heart or another fighter stronger than her could withstand it.

**Master Xehanort**

While he currently looks no older than thirty he is in reality almost ninety years old. His mastery of the Keyblade has surpassed all those before him, to the extent that he can annihilate an entire world with a dark spell without breaking a sweat, just as he did to the Land of Departure, home of his long time friend and ally Eraqus, after killing the old Master of course. Now, after his defeat at the hands of Aqua, losing his memory, becoming both Heartless and Nobody, and being thwarted at every turn, he has been revived using his grandson Riku as a vessel. While his body is only seventeen, he has taken a form most suited to his desires. Now he and Sora are locked in a bitter struggle for control of the X-blade, and the Worlds.

(Young version Voiced by Billy Zane, Ansem Seeker of Darkness KH1 only Old Man voiced by Leonard Nimoy, Mr. Spock, Master Xehanort (Birth by Sleep only)


	5. Chapter 4: True Master of the Xblade

_**Mickey is frozen, Donald and Goofy are out of the game, the darkest of Masters has been resurrected, Kairi has confessed her love and Sora has a Keyblade embedded in his heart**_

_**AND THE PROM IS TOMORROW! (Not really)**_

_**What's up next in**_

_**KINGDOM HEARTS**_

_**SHATTERED UNITY**_

_**Chapter 4**_

_**True Master of the X-Blade!**_

_**(FUN FACT: X-Blade is actually pronounced KEY-Blade or KYE(As in Kairi)-Blade!)**_

"**XEHANOOOOORT!"**

That was the shout that rang out of Sora's mouth as he grabbed hold of Xehanort's blade as he forced it out of his chest. A brighter light than any anyone could have ever imagined burst out of the hole above his heart, and formed a dome of energy, a force field, around the two of them.

"WHAT?" cried Xehanort as he fell to his knees from the intensity of the light and shielded his eyes. Then the field began to falter as Sora's eyes flashed a bright yellow and his once brown hair became black as the most unholy of nights.

"SORA!" wailed Kairi as she struggled against Feratu's grip. Kigara was cackling madly and the rest of the Elites were only watching in astonishment.

When the field vanished completely Sora was no more. In his place stood the boy who had been slain twelve years ago. The source of the Unversed, the original Heartless and dark wielder of the Keyblade: Vanitas!

He took in his surroundings and saw his master staring at him.

"Master!" he cried, dropping to his knees and helping Xehanort to his feet. "What happened? How long have I been imprisoned within that boy?"

Xehanort brushed himself off and chuckled. He set his hands on the boys shoulders.

"Too long Vanitas," he smiled darkly.

Vanitas matched his Masters evil grin, but the smile vanished and his face went pale. He pushed Xehanort's arms aside and clutched his chest in agony.

"Vanitas?" cried Master Xehanort. "Cauldishek what the hell is going on here?"

Cauldishek ran to Vanitas and started checking him out.

"It would seem that," she said then paused. "Sora is fighting back… and he's not alone!"

KHKHKH

Sora stood in a familiar place. It was the abyss. Surrounded by total darkness.

"Wh-what happened," he mumbled, extremely dazed and slightly delirious. "Riku… Mickey… Donald and Goofy... Kairi. I couldn't protect them. I couldn't protect _her_. I couldn't do anything. Now… am I dead?"

"No, you aren't dead," said a familiar voice.

Sora spun around to be face to face with...

"Roxas?" said Sora, rubbing his eye.

"No, I'm not Roxas," replied the person, who looked just like Roxas, though he was wearing a golden outfit instead of Roxas' white one. "My name is Ventus. You can call me 'Ven'"

"Ven," pondered Sora. "Where have I heard that name before?"

"Well for one thing, I _am _your older cousin."

"Cousin?"

"Yeah, until I left the Islands the day you were born anyways. I was once Master Xehanort's apprentice."

"Xehanort?"

"Yeah, but he thought I was too weak for his plans to conquer the worlds. So he fractured my heart and stole all my darkness. He used my darkness to create a new heart, a new being, and he named it Vanitas. He was my opposite in every way. And Master Xehanort almost left me to die."

"But…" Sora rubbed his eyes. This was a lot to take in.

"But then, before Xehanort left, the moment you were born, your heart appeared before my broken one. And you saved me. I don't know how, but you gave me some of your light, and I became a being without darkness… sort of like a Prince of Heart?"

Ventus laughed at this prospect.

"So, what happened to you?"

"Well, when your heart fixed mine, my Keyblade came to me, and Master Xehanort had a change of heart, though not anything major. He decided to take me to his friend Eraqus, to be trained to become a great Keyblade Master, but those were far from his true intentions. A few years later, he tried to combine my heart of pure light with Vanitas' heart of pure darkness, summoning the ultimate Keyblade, the X-blade! It worked and Vanitas possessed me, just like he possesses you now."

"But, I don't have a heart of pure light, so he can't have the X-blade!"

"That's not the problem Sora. The problem is that he took your darkness in order to make his own heart whole again, so your heart is fractured, just like mine was when you saved me. I will give you my light so that you will be a being of pure light as well. In order to take your body back you have to fight him man to man, defeat him and absorb his heart into yours, then you will be the one with the X-blade!"

"Me, with the X-blade!"

"When I fix your heart, I will disappear, so I can't help you. Roxas has faded into you so he can't help you either. You will be on your own for this."

Sora looked at the void around him, and nodded with a new resolve.

"I'm in!"

(Recommended song: Hiroyuki Nakayama - Hand in Hand – from the album: Piano Collections Kingdom Hearts)

Ven smiled and waved his hand. A bright light appeared underneath them as a broken platform appeared.

"I'll see you soon Sora! And tell them I'm sorry I couldn't finish Vanitas off myself!"

Ventus vanished in a flash of light and the platform completed, its mural reappearing on the surface. The face had changed from before, becoming an image of Ventus' choosing most likley, and showed Sora, a stern expression marking his features, holding a brilliant weapon into the air.

It resembled two crossing Kingdom Keys, with the teeth facing outward. It has filigree surrounding the tips of the keys that slightly resembles one on the Ultima Weapon, and the massive blade slightly resembles the Dream Sword that he used when he had his first awakening two years ago. The blade and filigree were glowing with a gradient pattern of green, white, blue and yellow. This was the X-blade.

Another thing that had caught Sora's eye was his outfit. He wears a white, red lined haori that seems to have a hood, along with slightly shorter than normal, light-colored hakama. Underneath his haori, he wears a navy blue shirt with a large white X pattern on the front, gold and black armored boots and a dull blue-green plate that covers his abdomen. He saw a flashing image of a black haired man with a Keyblade wearing this same outfit, so it must have belonged to him at some point.

Beside him, with her hand around his waist and a loving smile on her face was Kairi. Behind them on their right side, with his back turned was Riku. On the left, weapons drawn were Mickey, Donald and Goofy. And lining the circle with crowns marking the spaces in between them were circles with the faces of everyone he had ever met and made friends with, obviously signifying Sora to be the Key that connects everything. Though around the bottom half were a massive number of empty circles signifying those he had not met. To Sora, this meant that his journeys were far from over. This thought made him smile.

Sora walked over to his own image and knelt down to touch it. When his hand made contact with it, there was a flash of light and in an instant he was wearing the robes and armor.

"Man," he muttered, examining the outfit. "Ventus went all out."

Sora was pretty sure that this armor was just Ventus' way of helping him in the coming fight against Vanitas, but it would probably vanish when he left this place.

Sora summoned Ultima and Fenrir once again and raised them high into the air, and released a beam of light from each one. Then he vanished.

When he reappeared he was on a different platform. This one had an image of who he assumed to be Vanitas, just like Sora, with black hair and yellow eyes. And Vanitas himself was standing right in the center staring daggers at him.

In his hand was what appeared to be the X-blade from the mural, but something was wrong. It was broken in some places, and the blade had an aura of darkness, as though it were incomplete.

**(recommended song: Nemo – Nightwish)**

Sora looked at Vanitas for a split second, and immediately Vanitas was behind him, about to strike. He turned around and Vanitas was swinging the incomplete X-blade down on him. Sora quickly blocked and struck back, but Vanitas vanished again. Sora did a 180 and Vanitas was there, swinging the X-blade creating large yellow crscent waves of energy. Sora tried to block, but the slash waves kept pushing him with more force than he could handle.

"I'm the rightful wielder of the X-blade!" Vanitas shouted as he made several quick movements and slashes with the X-blade, trying to show off. "I'll end you, and finally return at my maximum strength! You're nothing more than a stepping stone with my face!"

Sora finally dispersed the slash waves he was blocking as he leapt at Vanitas and made his own rapid assault of slashing attacks.

"I don't know what you're talking about, and I don't care. I've got my friends who are waiting for my return." Sora put his two keyblades together and spun them rapidly, creating an Areoga tornado, catching Vanitas in the vortex. "I'm going back to my life! It's not your time anymore, so quit trying to rear your ugly head!"

Sora forced the keyblades apart as the tornado suddenly stopped and exploded. He looked up to find Vanitas's falling body, but then with the corner of his eye, he saw Vanitas behind him.

"You're just a brat! A REPLICA OF ME!" Vanitas swung and sent Sora up into the air. He then chased him and attacked with a seeping darkness pouring from his eyes. Sora cast Thundaga toward Vanitas as he swung back, attempting to counter him. Vanitas was struck, and he flew down and crashed into the floor. Sora then flew down for the killing blow with both his keyblades.

"This is the end." He said as he neared Vanitas. Just when the keyblades were about to pierce Vanitas, he roared and eploded with a massive wave of energy, forcing Sora back. He stood up, and the X-blade glew with an impressive aura. Vanitas swung at Sora, but as Sora tried to block what he thought was one slash wave, four suddenly appeared on the ground and exploded from below.

"Cross-slash: X-Blade edition," Vanitas said cooly as Sora was flung upwards. "Tell Cloud I said thanks for showing you that one. When I send him to Hell with you that is. Your memories will be most useful."

He vanished once more and reappeared to slash at Sora, to deliver the final blow. Just as he swung, Sora struck the X-blade aside with Fenrir and used the teeth of Ultima Weapon to catch Vanitas's armor. Vanitas's eyes went wide as Sora suddenly reversed their momentum and flung him downward at an incredible speed. Sora landed on the floor, and stood over Vanitas.

"Give it up. You can't defeat me." He turned to walk away. Vanitas then pulled himself up and laughed.

"You wanna just walk away? Fine by me. I'll be the one in control...after all; this is a fight...to the DEATH!" Vanitas laughed insanely. Suddenly he was in control of the battle again and rapidly dashed past Sora, faster than he could block. Sora held back the dark energy bombarding him from that one strike, he was really feeling the pressure restrain him, and let out a scream as a large explosion of darkness covered his body.

"It's my win boy. Too bad, looks like my master and I will have fun being young again." He expanded the aura on the X-blade as he swung to kill, when the smoke from the explosion suddenly swirled inward and blew away, momentarily stopping Vanitas.

"What the hell?" Vanitas spat. "You should be dead, you little worm!"

"Not today." Sora threw Ultima weapon at Vanitas, and with each hit, it teleported and struck from a different angle.

Vanitas was struggling to keep up with Ultima's movements when Sora came rushing, shouting "Sonic Blade!"

Now Vanitas was in a serious world of hurt. As Sora's attack seemed to finally come to an end, he then threw himself toward Sora. He was running out of strength fast, so he made the aura on the X-Blade so large that Sora couldn't possible avoid it.

"DIE AND GO TO HELL!" Vanitas yelled at Sora as he lunged foward. Sora didn't have that much strength left in him either, and so he decided to end this. He rose Ultima Weapon in midair and launched several magical beams from its tip toward Vanitas, knocking him to his knees. Vanitas then thrust the X-blade into the floor, making several bursts fire explode upward from the floor. Sora continued his assault on Vanitas, as he shouted "Ragnarcanum!"

Vanitas took every hit as each explosion became more violent. Finally he managed to stand as Sora was blown away by an explosion, and He swung, launching 16 slash waves at Sora.

"Malevolent Execution!" He yelled as he thought he'd finally beaten the boy. Suddenly Sora was flying towards him at nearly twice the speed of a Gummi ship on maximum turbo. Sora had an unshaken look in his eyes as he was full of resolve. Vanitas quickly moved the X-blade to block Sora.

Sora continued and swung at Vanitas, clashing against his X-blade. He disappeared and reappeared behind Vanitas. Sora said one word as Vanitas and the X-blade crumbled and shattered into an unknown amount of pieces of aura that quickly faded.

"Zantetsuken."

Sora sighed and turned to face the center of the platform.

"I know you are still there," he said. "That last move was one of Ventus' moves wasn't it?"

A swirling mass of dark energy appeared in the center and took the shape of Vanitas, though it no longer looked human, more like a heartless.

"Terra actually," he replied. "I don't know how you knew that Zantetsuken, but it was rather effective. I have lost this battle, but not the war. I will kill you one day soon, if my master does not."

"Hey," said Sora.

"What?"

"Shut up," and with that Sora was upon the spirit of Vanitas and had plunged Ultima into his chest. "And die."

"No!" wailed Vanitas as his darkness moved across the hilt of the Ultima Keyblade and into Sora's hands. "I'm supposed to absorb you! This can't be happening! I was out! I WAS ALIVE!"

"Then live through me!" cried Sora.

"WHAT?"

"I know you Vanitas! You are the dark half of something good. You used to be able to feel happiness, joy, love, and all of that!"

"YOU DON'T KNOW ME!"

"Feel what I do Vanitas! Become one with me and all of these emotions can be yours! Let us become ONE!"

And with that, Vanitas disappeared once and for all. Ultima disappeared as well, and there was a burning light as it was replaced by the magnificent X-blade.

Sora suddenly felt a massive power run through him as the X-blade became whole once more. Sora's heart felt warm, as did the handle of the weapon, and Sora felt that the X-blade had accepted him as it's master. Sora chuckled, and then he started laughing. The blade vibrated as though it were laughing too. Then he stopped when he heard a voice.

_Master of the X-blade_

It was the voice of the one who greeted him when he had his first awakening.

_The enemies you face are powerful, too powerful even for you, even for this weapon. You must escape and master this blade, for only when your heart is open to it, its heart is open to you, and master and weapon form an unbreakable bond unlike any other, will you become more powerful than any god._

"Who are you?" he asked.

_Take my power. It will give you the strength to face these enemies for a short time, but you must leave this place. I will help you._

"Who _are you?_" he demanded.

_Kingdom Hearts_

KHKHKH

Xehanort was furious. He watched as Vanitas writhed in pain on the ground, and there was nothing he could do. The Elites were on edge, Kairi was wailing loudly while being restrained by Feratu, Micky was frozen solid and Donald and Goofy were cowering nearby.

Xehanort was pacing back and forth, but then he suddenly stopped. The sky above had suddenly gone dark, as clouds began to swirl overhead. The Elites followed his gaze to the heavens as the clouds churned and lightning flashed overhead. Thunder boomed as they felt the sonic vibrations in the pits of their chests. Then it began to rain.

Xehanort smirked and summoned his Keyblade to his hand again. It transformed into a flaming ball of purple energy in the palm of his hand.

"Master," said Cauldishek, coming up to him. "What does this mean?"

"The X-blade," responded the tall man. "It is complete."

"Vanitas won?"

Xehanort looked to Vanitas to see that he had ceased his struggle.

"I don't know."

The ball of dark fire burst from Xehanort's hand and sped towards the eye of the storm. It passed through the clouds without hinderance.

_Boom!_

The clouds above parted as the fire ball exploded revealing the heart shaped moon.

"KINGDOM HEEEEARTS!" roared Xehanort, extending his arms above him. "REVEAL TO ME THE X-BLADE AND FILL ME WITH THE POWER OF DARKNESS!"

_He who would destroy the worlds and blanket them with unending darkness. He who would betray us all and misuse the power of the Keyblade._

Xehanort's insane smile faltered as he heard the voice of Kingdom Hearts… and Sora. He spun around to see that Sora had risen from the ground, his clothing tattered and destroyed, bleeding from many wounds, and a look of pure rage.

"_Your time has come!"_

"Sora!" cried Kairi, the joy obvious on her face.

A beam of white light shot down from Kingdom Hearts and hit Sora. His wounds healed and he stared straight into Xehanort's eyes as he spoke again.

"Next time we meet I will not run away," he said coldly. "I will use this X-blade to slay you once and for all!"

The X-blade appeared in his right hand and he swung it forward creating a massive gust of magical wind that knocked down the lesser Elites, caused the senior Elites to brace themselves, while Xehanort did not budge, nor blink his eyes. Sora twirled his new weapon in his hands and pointed it at Xehanort.

"I do know," growled the dark master. "That when we do meet again I will be the victor. Therefore I challenge you! If you can defeat the Lucid Key Elite then I will face you seriously, with my full power! No holding back! I shall let you have this day, and that weapon, for I am a fair man! But when I kill you the X-blade will be MINE!"

Sora leapt at Xehanort and the two clashed blades. Xehanort crated a ball of dark energy in his palm and shoved it into Sora's left eye. Sora cried out in agony and fell to the ground, gripping his face.

"Sora!" cried his friends.

Sora stood shakily and holding his eye, he held up the X-blade in his other hand pitifully.

"Give up yet?" mocked Xehanort.

"Give me back my friends first!" Sora groaned.

"How about I sweeten the deal," Xehanort cackled. "Your friends will remain with me, unharmed, I'll even give them a hotel suite with full room service, and if you can beat me you'll have them back!"

The Elites all started laughing madly.

"And if you cannot defeat me," he continued. "And the X-blade becomes mine, as well as the worlds, I will become the Dark Emperor of Kingdom Hearts, and Kairi will be my queen!"

Sora's eyes widened and looked to Kairi, who was just as shocked. He roared in fury and shoved away from Xehanort. Just as he was about call off the deal and strike with all of his might, an orange blur appeared in between them and a suit of armor appeared, facing Xehanort.

"You?" shouted Xehanort, as he held his Keyblade at a ready stance. "Are you still here?"

"Don't do it," said the suit of armor, turning its head/helmet to look at Sora. "You can save them another day. You must leave this place and go to Yen Sid. He will know what to do."

"Yen Sid?" demanded Sora. "What does he have to do with this?"

"While he is no longer a Keyblade Master, he will know how to face this enemy!"

Sora looked at Kairi and she shouted at him.

"Just go Sora! I'll be fine!"

Sora huffed and looked at the armor. He looked up at Kingdom Hearts above. He extended his hand towards the heart shaped moon.

"Kingdom Hearts! Give me the strength to take on this enemy and live to fight another day!"

**(recommended song: Hammerfall- Last Man Standing )**

Kingdom Hearts reacted to his words. It flashed brightly and another beam of light shot down and struck the X-blade. Sora felt a sudden surge of power and nodded at the armored figure. He looked longingly at Kairi, who nodded solemnly.

"I love you!" she called.

"I love you too!" he shouted back.

Then he turned and leapt off the side of the cliff.

The armor cocked its helmet and turned as well. Throwing its Keyblade into the air, with a burst of light it transformed into a vehicle of sorts, like a flying motorcycle and sped towards the falling figure. The armor turned to look back at Xehanort, who was watching calmly. The Elites watched their master for orders.

"Cauldishek," he muttered.

"Use your riders!"Ordered the mad scientist. "Hunt him down."

Kigara cackled madly and threw his Keyblade in the same fashion, and it became a huge motorcycle with a wing on the side. He hopped on and a helmet with a visor appeared on his head. He revved the engine a few times and drove off the side of the cliff. The other eight besides Cauldishek did the same, their Keyblades taking the forms of motorcycles, hover boards, and other odd vehicles, each one bearing a resemblance to their blades, and some like Kain's and Krysnys were packing heat.

Sora flew towards the bottom of the cliff when a strange vehicle flew down and positioned itself next to him. He knew it to be a blessing by the armored figure. He grabbed onto the handle bars and pulled himself onto the seat. He pulled up and started flying towards the sky in hopes of leaving this pitiful world.

Then blasts of magical energy whizzed past his ear, and he turned to see Kigara on a motorcycle, but rather than flying he was riding on a stream of dark energy that seemed to act as a sky road and formed three feet in front of the rider itself, and phased out about fifty feet behind. The other Elites were close behind, with Kain, Kamui, and Sakaki riding ones similar to Sora, Azulong and Feratu riding ones that looked more like personal airplanes, with Azulongs bearing a fiery theme to it, and Feratu's resembling a bat, and Kajime and Trix rode ones similar to flying snow boards with jet engines attached to the back.

And they were gaining quickly.

Sora summoned the X-blade to his hand and prepared for battle.

"Come on, Light Boy!" Kigara cackled as he quickly gained speed and approached Sora.

"Tch...I don't have time to deal with you!" Sora swung the X-blade once when Kigara pulled up beside him, preparing to attack, and Kigara was knocked off course.

There was no time to waste though. He had to escape, and not just Kigara...but almost every member of the elite was chasing him. He sped through the air, attempting to break through to space, dodging magic shots left and right from his pursuers.

He rose higher and higher, but suddenly felt like he was being slowed down. He turned and saw Feratu's rider latched onto his vehicle, which was being dragged down at a rapid pace. He spun and swung the X-blade down at Feratu, knocking him off. As Sora did this, a thunderbolt whizzed past his head from the side. He was being assaulted by lightning from Trix, and Azulong was launching fire streams toward Sora.

He made some quick zigzag motions as he swung the X-blade at thier riders. He flew forward, and noticed Kain right in front of him, charging towards him. Sora quickly used the X-blade and cast Aeroga, launching himself upward and out of the way, while smashing Kain, Trix, and Azulong together. He kept going up, higher and higher, but was still being shot at by the remaining members.

"Damn!" he shouted as one of their attacks grazed the side of his rider. "I'm never going to make it out at this rate! I'm just gonna have to take them down a notch!"

He killed his engines as he suddenly began to slow, and stopped his ascension altogether, and he pulled up on the handlebars, hard, until he was facing the Elites, and falling towards them.

"Did we ge' 'im?" shouted Trix, pulling up beside Feratu. The dark man squinted at the falling figure.

"No," he muttered. "He… he is coming at us! SCATTER!"

The others did as commanded, but it was no use. Sora revved his engines and jumped out of the Rider, which, by some will of its own, pulled up and began circling the unfolding scene.

Sora gave a shout as he landed atop the nearest rider, which was Krysnys and used his blade to slice her engines. She cried out in surprise and bailed as her engines died and reverted to its Keyblade form.

"What the hell is he doing?" shouted Azulong.

"He's using the X-blade's magic to nullify our riders!" replied Kain from above. Sora's rider returned to him and instead of taking the seat he stood on it. He sped towards Kain and before the young man could respond, Sora had made a pass at him and had cut off his engines as well. The two Elites fell through the sky, until the unexpected happened. They were caught… by Kigara.

"What the hell?" commented Kain, looking at the mad man.

"Kyeheheh, I'm the only one aloud to kill you people!" was the response.

"Hmph," chuckled Kain. "Get close to him. I'll take him out myself."

"You're funeral!" cackled Kigara. "Girl! You hitch a ride with Feratu!"

He passed over the man in question and she hopped onto his rider.

Kigara sped towards Sora, and before Sora could make a pass at his engine, he stopped and Kain leaptoff the back of Kigara's rider onto the front of Sora's. Sora blocked a strike and the two traded quick blows until Sora ducked under one of Kain's and punched him in the gut, making him lose his balance and fall, only to be caught again.

The others took this as a sign and began speeding towards him , quickly converting from rider to blade and landing on his rider, trading blows, and jumping back off. Sora took a few nasty hits, and almost fell, but regained his balance only for another Elite to join him.

Just as he recovered from a strike from Trix, Feratu appeared above him, and charged his Keyblade with enough magic to bring down an army of Darksides. Sora charged his blade as well, but to no avail, The resulting explosion caused Sora and his rider to go careening towards the ground.

Feratu summoned his rider and mounted it, watching Sora fall to his demise with a smirk.

But then, the engines in Sora's rider lit up and it suddenly sped towards him, catching him in his seat, and with a massive burst of speed, flew past the Elites and into space. If one were to have frozen time just as he whizzed past Feratu, they would have noticed that Sora was looking right at him, tugging on his eyelid and giving him a raspberry.

Feratu saw it too.

KHKHKH

Xehanort sighed deeply and squeezed the bridge of his pointed nose with his forefinger and thumb. He snapped his fingers and a throne made out of rock appeared from the ground, and he sat down heavily.

Cauldishek held his breath, lest the air leaving his lungs bring upon the wrath of his master.

Kairi was sobbing openly, a huge smile on her face as she watched her love escape to save her another day. Donald and Goofy were silently celebrating this small victory with the still frozen King Mickey.

"Cauldishek," he groaned. His apprentice, walked up to him silently. "Tell me what you have found out about the Princess of Soul?"

**NEXT CHAPTER:**

**TRAINING UNDER YEN SID**


	6. Chapter 5: Training Under Yen Sid

_**Sora has escaped the wrath of Xehanort and the Lucid Key Elite, with the X-blade in hand, and his spirit broken. His friends and the one he loves are in the malevolent hands of his enemies, and he has only one place to turn. The tower belonging to Master Yen Sid.**_

_**Next stop:**_

_**Twilight Town!**_

_**KINGDOM HEARTS**_

_**SHATTERED UNITY**_

_**Chapter 5**_

_**Training under Yen Sid**_

"So you know what we need her for, you have just not located her yet?" assessed Xehanort atop his rock throne, as he absorbed the information given to him by Cauldishek. "So how long until we can find the Princess of Soul?"

"I can assume that she will be within our grasp within the next three months," replied Cauldishek, braced to defend himself if his master was displeased with his calculations.

"Three months is fine," said Xehanort. "Perhaps it will give that boy the time to prepare for his death at the hands of your subordinates."

"I will send—"

"You will send no one," snapped Xehanort, raising his hand. "He has Yen Sids's old Keyblade, and I know how powerful that old wizard can be. If we send anyone Yen Sid will not hesitate to raise his Keyblade against us and that is something I would like to avoid at all costs."

"But Master—"

"You must have noticed that I have not recovered completely. I only have access to sixty percent of my true power. By the time we get the Princess of Soul I will have returned to my full strength."

"Excuse me," piped up a whimpering voice. Xehanort jumped slightly and turned to see that Kairi was addressing him, and Donald and Goofy were standing in front of her in case they attempted something. "But what is the Princess of Soul? I am a Princess of Heart, and I know that there are seven of us, but what is-?"

She was cut off by Xehanort's barking laughter. He stood up and walked in front of them.

"The Princess of Soul is a phenomenon that occurs during the birth of the X-blade," he said. "Think all seven Princesses of Heart wrapped into one being, and multiply the power of Light within that heart ten times, and add in a perfect balance of Darkness. A being with a complete 50/50 ratio of Light and Dark, and almost one hundred times the light of a Princess of Heart, with that added touch of darkness. The Princess of Soul is created as a counter balance to the X-bade's power. The X-blade has a power of light and darkness to rival that of Kingdom Hearts, but in order to keep someone from abusing such power the Princess of Soul is born. The only way written to bring out the true power of the X-blade is for the wielder of the X-blade to form an unbreakable bond with her, by forcing the Princess of Soul's heart to leave her body and join with whoever wields the weapon, giving them the powers of a god. And as the X-blade was first born twelve years ago, we are searching for a twelve year old girl, as there is no reason for there to be two counterbalances."

"Master, why are you telling her this?" demanded Cauldishek.

"Will it matter when I am the Emperor of Kingdom Hearts?"

Cauldishek let the words sink in before he broke out laughing.

"You are truly right Master."

"So, uh," muttered Goofy, holding the sill frozen Mickey under his arm. "You need the Princess of Soil—"

"Soul!" interrupted Donald.

"—So you can get that X-blade's power for yerself?"

"Indeed," replied Xehanort.

"Huh," was all Goofy said before he gulped.

"Sora will stop ya!" skwaked Donald.

"Yeah," said Kairi, with a firm nod.

Xehanort ignored them and turned to his Elites, who had just returned upon Cauldishek's orders.

"So," he said to the group. "Now that the Unversed are gone forever and the Heartless are forever banished from the Realm of Light, how will we spread our reach across the worlds? Suggestions?"

Cauldishek smirked.

"I am quite a ways ahead of you Master," he chuckled. He snapped his fingers and there was a rumbling behind them. The clouds parted, revealing a cloaked fleet of gummi ships, massive destroyers and swarms of one man fighters, with one enormous mother ship dwarfing all others. Then, on the ground below appeared an army of thousands of the Heartbourne.

"Heartbourne," stated the scientist. "Humanoid monsters with Heartless characteristics all wielding artificial Keyblades to People's Hearts, the Dark Keyblade used by your heartless to open the Final Keyhole two years ago. I created the first specimens in my lab with the help of my assistant Kamui, replicating the effect of her Keyblade, in turning anything or anyone stabbed in the Hearts with these weapons into more Heartbournes. We have been breeding them under the radar for twenty years."

"And you didn't tell me?" stated Xehanort, glaring at his apprentice coldly.

"It was meant to be a surprise for your birthday Master."

Xehanort laughed. He snapped his fingers and six Heartbourne appeared next to him.

"Take our prisoners to the ship and put them in whatever holding cells we have in there."

They grunted and screeched in response and grabbed Kairi and co. all of them disappearing in puffs of smoke.

"So what now?" groaned Kigara, stretching his muscles.

"Master, with your permission, we have been asked to offer aide to our allies in the Force Realm, with some problems involving a Rebel Alliance," said Cauldishek. "They are our technological providers to my research. Also I have heard some interesting reports of a machine known as the Devil Gundam running wild on a remote world, and I think that if I were to acquire its tech, our armies could quadruple in size. I have also heard tales of a sentient heart of a world in a hidden city called Atlantis. I thought I could send a few Elites down there and investigate."

"Indeed," responded the old Master. He looked upon his young hands and ran one through his restored hair. "We will begin operations in one month. Until then, don't make a move until you have evidence to back up your claims."

"Yes Master," said Cauldishek bowing, he then addressed the Elites."Go to your quarters, het some rest."

The Elites confirmed these new orders and opened corridors of Darkness leading to their rooms on the mothership.

One Elite did not do so however. Kajime, the one who had given Sora the potion when he had first awoken earlier, walked up to Cauldishek.

"He is stronger than you think," she said to him. "I think he'll beat you, and then I will be free."

Cauldishek smiled.

"I saw that hi potion you gave to him. If it happens again, if you assist him in any way, you will die. Don't forget that device I implanted in your chest. You are mine. Don't forget it."

She said nothing as she opened a corridor and stepped into it.

"Teenage girls," he muttered before disappearing himself.

KHKHKH

_**Two Days Later**_

Sora was tired. He was in pain. He was surrounded by darkness, as he flew at top speed towards Twilight Town, where he could hopefully find a path to the Mysterious Tower, the lair of the powerful mage Yen Sid.

Sora had been flying nonstop for almost two days. Without the walls of a gummi ship to protect him, all he had was his own magic to guard him from the darkness that was trying to enter his heart from the surrounding space. All he knew was that he needed Yen Sid to help him save his friends… and Kairi.

Sora could see Twilight Town in the distance, just a few hours away. He pressed onwards atop the mysterious figure's Keyblade Rider.

KHKHKH

"Ladies and Gentlemen!" announced a portly man with a mustache from a wooden platform, surrounded by a cheering crowd. "Struggle Fiends of Twilight Town! It's time for summer's most sizzling clash! That's right! Today's the day for the Struggle and Title Match! Who will break through the ranks and take on our champion Seifer? And who will leave today as our new Struggle Champion? Yep, the Crowd is fired up, so you know what comes next! Lets-"

_A small city on an orange glowing backdrop with the image of a sunset forms, as a train track forms around it. As an odd train with star patterns passes by the words Twilight Town form from the buildings_

"STRUGGLE!" roared the crowd. Fireworks went off in the sky above to commemorate the beginning of the small town's annual tradition.

But their celebrations were cut off, as the announcer noticed something.

"What is that?" he said to the referee, pointing up at an object falling from the sky.

Three of the local kids, a blonde tough guy named Hayner, a sweet Brunette named Ollette and a pudgy wise guy named Pence, were looking up at the falling object, and quickly realized it was a person. And if the shape of the person's head was any clue, they knew who it was.

KHKHKH

Sora, in his exhaustion, lost consciousness as soon as he entered the atmosphere of Twilight Town, and the Keyblade Rider, having no source of magic to fuel it, died and reverted to Keyblade form, before fading away. So Sora was falling, falling towards what could be a sticky end. But he was able to land, not on the hard ground, but a concession stand of some sort.

When he regained consciousness a few seconds later, all he could hear were panicked voices and people surrounding him. Being in a volatile state, when someone tried to help him up, he lashed out at them, and stood up. He tried to get away, but he just fell down, until he found someone catch him.

"Sora!" he heard someone call his voice. "Sora!"

Hius vision cleared and he saw that he was in the arms of Seifer, the one who had caught him. The Struggle director was trying to calm everyone, and the referee was trying to make sure he was unhurt. Standing nearby, with panicked and frightened looks on their faces were Hayner, Pence and Ollette. He had made it.

Sora pushed Seifer off of him and started to stumble away, trying to find the path to the train station. He needed to make it to Yen Sid, and he would know what to do in this situation. He was about to fall again, when he felt someone slip under his arms and support him on his shoulders. Hayner and Pence had caught him, and Ollete was clearing a path to their secret spot.

They hauled him to their spot and set him down on the couch. Ollette grabbed a clean rag and a bottle of water and started wiping the blood and dirt off of his face. Hayner squatted down in front of him and looked him in the eye.

"What happened?" the blonde demanded. "Where are Donald Goofy and the others?"

Sora stared at him for a second, the information slowly processing the question and the feeling of lukewarm water cleansing his features. Pence was watching with a look of fear and worry. Sora, looked at his feet.

"Sora?" said Ollete. "It's okay, tell us what happened."

"I can't do this." He whispered. He sniffled quietly.

"Hmm?"

Sora started to cry, and he buried his face in his hands.

"I couldn't save any of them," He sobbed. "Now they have Kairi, Donald, Goofy and King Mickey!"

"Who Sora?" Ollete cooed, pulling his hands from his face.

"Come on man, you can tell us," said Pence.

"They were too strong," he murmured, his eyes drifting closed as he began to fall asleep. "I'm sorry. I need to get to the station… I need to find Yen Sid."

Hayner laid him on the sofa and covered him with a blanket.

"Will he be okay?" said a voice from the entrance. It was Vivi, followed by Seifer and his crew.

"The tournament was cancelled," said Seifer. "They are looking for him you know. They want to take him to the hospital."

"We've got this," said Hayner. Then he looked at Seifer. "Have you heard the name Yen Sid before?"

"Yen Sid," muttered Seifer, rubbing his chin. "Isn't he that weird old guy in the robes who comes to town to buy his groceries? I think I saw him at the station earlier today. He's easy to spot; he wears blue robes and a pointy hat. Seems like a freak to me."

"He's a weird one, ya know?" piped up Rai.

"Oddity," said Fuu.

"He's nice to me," said Vivi. "He said I have p-pitenthal—"

"Potential?"

"Yeah, po-tent-chal as a sorcerer!"

"I'm going to look for him," said Hayner. "Sora came here looking for him; I think he was hurt in a fight."

"I'll come too," said Pence. "It will be easier if we look together,"

"We'll help," said Seifer. "It's my duty to look out for the people in this town."

"I'll stay here and look after him," said Ollette. "I think something is wrong with his left eye though."

"What?"

"Didn't you notice? It's yellow!"

She opened his eyelid to reveal a bright yellow iris, and the whole eye had a black outline.

"Freaky," said Fuu.

"We should find that Yen Sid, quick!" said Hayner, and he Pence and Seifer's crew ran out and towards Market Street.

Ollete pulled up a crate and kept cleaning Sora up, while he muttered in his sleep. She began to hum a tune as she watched him sleep.

KHKHKH

Yen Sid was a patient man. He liked children… most of the time. What he didn't have the patience for was Vivi, stuttering and babbling incoherently while tugging on his robes, with a pack of neighborhood kids staring at his pointy hat. He liked his pointy hat. Mickey may have said it was silly, but he is a giant mouse, as though that's easier to take seriously. He put a hand on Vivi's head and the child silenced, and took a step back, fidgeting slightly. So much for going to the plant nursery to pick up some soil for his garden and making it back for lunch.

"Yen Sid?" said a blonde boy wearing a vest and camo shorts.

"Can I help you children with something?" He replied tiredly.

"It's our friend," said the boy. "He's hurt really badly. He came falling out of the sky during the tournament earlier and he was asking for you."

Yen Sid, frowned deeply and he became very serious.

"Where is he?"

"This way sir!"

The group ran to the secret spot in the back alley with Yen Sid on their heels.

KHKHKH

Hayner and the others had been searching for Yen Sid for almost an hour when Sora's eyes fluttered open, to be met with the sight of Ollette staring at him. He sat up quickly and tried to distance himself from her, in confused agitation.

"Sora!" she exclaimed, grabbing his hands and trying to calm him down. He stopped his struggle at the sound of her voice.

"O-Ollette?"

"Yeah, you're in Twilight Town. Hayner, Pence and Seifer went looking for Yen Sid. What happened to you?"

Sora looked at her for a few seconds.

"You remember my Keyblade?"

"What about it?"

Sora sighed heavily.

"A group of bad people with their own Keyblades attacked us and revived an old master. I barely escaped, but I-I—"

He stuttered before breaking down into tears again.

"What was it Sora?" she pressed.

"I—I tried to fight, and I thought I was going to die… but I escaped… and I left them… I left them behind."

"Who?"

"Everyone! Donald, Goofy, Mickey and even Kairi!"

Sora grabbed the water bottle she had been using and threw it against the wall, before putting his face in his hands.

"I'm a coward."

She took his hands and looked him in the eye.

"Don't say that!" she exclaimed, a hard look in her eyes. "I'm sure you were in over your head! Just recover for now and we can save them later!"

"We?"

"Well they aren't your only friends are they? I know you made tons of friends on your adventures and they'd be willing to—"

"That's it!" he cried, jumping up.

"What's it?"

"I have plenty of friends to help me! I just have to go and find them before…" then he grabbed his side and cried out in pain, and flopped back down on the couch. "No… no its useless.

"Why is it useless?"

"Their leader is powerful. At least ten times as strong as I am. He took everything I had, my most powerful moves and abilities like it was nothing."

"Well then get stronger!"

"Training?"

"Yeah! I'm sure Yen Sid will be able to help you get stronger, even faster!"

Sora thought about it for a second, then looked at her and smiled.

"Thanks Ollette. I'm glad I have friends like you."

She blushed slightly and looked away.

"It's no trouble Sora."

"Sora," came the deep, rumbling voice of Yen Sid. "I was not expecting to see you again so soon."

Sora and Ollete looked to see the Sorcerer.

"But aren't you always expecting me?"

"I can't be in front of the crystal ball all day you know," replied the old wizard, with a smile. "Now tell me what has happened. This morning I sensed a great darkness wash over the worlds, and a massive fluxuation of energy but I could pinpoint nothing. Has something happened?"

Sora stood in front of the master, held out his hand and summoned the X-blade. Yen Sid's eyes widened in awe and horror.

"Master Xehanort has returned," said Sora. "And he has Mickey and Kairi. He came back using Riku as his vessel, and he has ten Masters and apprentices under his command. They call themselves the Lucid Key Elite."

"Impossible," whispered Yen Sid. "How did they avoid my eye for so long?"

"They are strong Master.I barely escaped with my own life intact. Not only that, but Master Xehanort has the combined power of four Keyblade Masters, having stolen the hearts of three others. He tried to use me to get this X-blade, but I defeated his apprentice and stole it from him, so his plans are on hold for now."

"Come Sora," said Yen Sid, leading him into the back alley, with the others following close behind. "Have you learned anything else of their intentions?"

"I heard some talk regarding a Princess of Soul."

"Indeed. Then the time has come," he turned to face Sora. "Sora, from this day foreward you are my apprentice. I will tech you the lost art of the Keyblade Masters. The Star Seeker Keybade you wield was once mine you know. But, I gave the life of a Keyblade Master up for more scholarly pursuits."

Sora grinned broadly, looking up at his new master. Yen Sid frowned. He grabbed Sora by the chin and looked into his left eye.

"Sora were you struck in the eye?"

"Yes sir," he said. "By Xehanort."

"I see. It would seem that he has marked you as his nemesis. When two Keyblade Masters of light and dark, are locked in mortal combat, if one were to escape, one may choose to mark his enemy in some way, to scar them, and mark them as a coward."

"What do you mean?"

In a puff of blue smoke, Yen Sid summoned a hand mirror and gave it to Sora. Sora looked at his eye and went dead silent. He gave the mirror back to Yen Sid and looked down in shame.

"I can't believe I let that monster taint me."

Yen Sid placed a hand on Sora's shoulder.

"No fret Sora. The only way to remove the mark is to defeat Xehanort, something I believe you will be able to do in time."

"Really?"

"Really. Now, come to the tower, you are in need of new clothes and some new equipment. I believe my old armor will suit you quite well."

Sora looked down and saw that his vest was gone, destroyed, his shirt was torn to shreds as were his pants.

"Excuse me," said Hayner. The two turned to look at him. "But is there any way we can help? Sora Donald, Goofy, Mickey and Kairi are our friends. We need to help them!"

Yen Sid smiled sagely at the group. Hayner, looking at him defiantly, Ollete, with hope in her eyes, Pence, who just looked sad, Seifer, who looked determined, Rai and Fuu who were ready for anything, and Vivi, who just wanted to help.

"This task will not be an easy one. Sora and I will be waging a war against an enemy with limitless power, and hordes of monsters. I will take you to my tower, and I will allow you to help. You will not accompany him beyond this world, but you are Sora's team of friends, cheering him on, tending his wounds, repairing his equipment, helping him train. You will help me run our operations against Xehanort and the Lucid Key Elite. Now we are off!"

There was a great explosion of blue smoke as the group disappeared.

When they reappeared they were in Yen Sid's office.

Yen Sid snapped his fingers and the three good fairies appeared before them.

"Ladies," he said. "Sora seems to have ruined the clothes you gave him. Would you mind assisting me in giving him an upgrade?"

"Of course Yen Sid!" said the red fairy Flora. She floated over and examined his state of disrepair. "Tisk tisk, children these days. Can't play outside anymore without ruining something."

"I'll design again!" stated the green fairy Fauna.

"You always design!" accused the blue fairy Merryweather.

**(recommended song: Enya—Book of Days (Sora's theme)**

"I'll be helping this time," said Yen Sid. The fairies pulled out their wands, and Yen Sid pulled up his sleeves. The four simultaneously cast the magic spell and there was a huge explosion of light. When it cleared Sora was wearing a very similar outfit top his previous one, with some obvious differences. The short vest was now a long jacket that ended below his waist, and the shorts had become long, baggy cargo pants. The back of his coat had a red heart insignia on the back, and he had an eye patch over his left eye. Sora looked at his outfit and turned to the awestruck Twilight Town folk. He grinned and gave them a peace sign.

"Mr. Sid?" piped up Vivi. "What are you?"

Yen Sid chuckled.

"I'm a wizard young man," he said. "And a former Master of the Keyblade!"

"Hold on a sec now," said Seifer, pushing past Hayner. "Before I do _anything_ I need to know, just what the hell is a Keyblade, and what is the Xenophobe and Lucid Key Elite? And what's this crock about leaving the world?"

"So disrespectful," huffed Flora, earning chuckles from Hayner's crew.

Yen Sid closed his eyes and in a flash, hovering above his desk was a sphere, blue with large patches of green, brown and swirling white lines.

"This is a planet," he said. "Tell me, when you look up at the sky at night, what do you see?"

"Stars!" exclaimed Vivi.

"One thousand years ago, there were no stars," Continued the sorcerer. "And there was one planet in this realm. The planet was called Gaea, and it was protected by two orders. The Keyblade Masters of Light—"

The image changed to a group of armored figures, their armor silver blue, and gold. They all held various Keyblades in their hands.

"And the Keyblade Masters of Darkness."

The image changed to a group of people in purple, black and red armor. They also held assorted Keyblades.

"The Keyblade is a magical weapon, with many powers. It can open any lock, and it can banish the darkness from the most polluted lands. In the beginning, the Order was one and whole, but due to disagreements in the councils, the order split into two. Sometimes they would fight for dominance, but they mostly remained separate, and more often than not, friendly towards one another. Their common goal was to guard the heart of the planet, which they had named Kingdom Hearts. But the hearts of men are easily tainted, and their displeasure towards each other began to consume them, until it became hatred. They all wanted the power of Kingdom Hearts for themselves, in order to make sure their side would always be dominant. Legend told of a mystical weapon called the X-blade, more powerful than any Keyblade, and the only one capable of unsealing Kingdom Hearts. Both sides wanted the X-blade, and they squabbled over it for a very long time. Then came the war."

The image on the table became two Masters, fighting with their weapons. It zoomed out to show that they weren't the only ones fighting. The battle was massive, and explosions, and magical attacks, even a few tornados ravaged the landscape.

"The Masters, in their lust for power, destroyed the very world they meant to protect. The X-blade was forged, but how it was, I do not know. The wielder however, was not a master, but an apprentice. He was tired of the war and the fighting, and he used its power to destroy everyone at the battle, both Light and Dark, save the few he still cared for. He used the X-blade to unseal Kingdom Hearts, wishing to recreate the world. But he made a mistake. Darkness covered the world, and it was nearly lost. He used the last of his power to banish the Darkness from the world, but it was not enough, so he created a barrier in between the Realms of Light and Darkness. Then, to erase the mistakes of both himself and his masters, He used the remaining power he had to destroy himself, the X-blade, and…"

The image of Gaea reappeared, and cracks began to show on her surface. Then it split apart completely, as shining orbs of light broke off of it and stopped in the sky, becoming the stars.

"Gaea was no more. That one planet split into the thousands of worlds that exist today, with their own hearts to sustain them. And every star in the sky to this very day is another world, and the light you see is the heart of that world, shining down on us telling us to never forget what was lost in the Keyblade War. Now, one thousand years later, the X-blade has been reforged, and the battle for it is beginning again. Sora!"

"Yes Master?"

"For the next two months I will train you in combat, and magic. Your friends here will attend to everything you need. But first—"

He waved his hand, and an armored breast plate appeared on the desk. Oddly, it only covered the left side of the wearer's chest. Sora removed his jacket and put it on.

"Put your hand on the plate and concentrate on it with all your heart!" urged Yen Sid. Sora closed his eyes and did just that. In a flash, he was wearing dark blue armor, with pointed decorative ears and his jacket had turned into a sleeveless cloak, like Seifer's but black, and with the same shoulder guards.

"Sweet!" he laughed.

"These clothes and armor will allow you to take the forms of your old clothes without having to join with a friend, and you will unlock new, more powerful forms when you leave this place," Yen Sid explained. "But be warned, taking forms will not last as long as they used to, and It will be a long waiting period before you can transform again. Now summon the Keyblades Oathkeeper and Oblivion."

Sora did as he was asked.

"Now I will teach you to make a Keyblade Rider. I want you to envision a vehicle sharing components of both Keyblades, charge as much magical energy in the blades as you can, and then throw them out of my window with as much force as you can, without that image leaving your head."

Sora seemed to concentrate very hard. He pictured a monstrously huge motorcycle he had seen Cloud working on once while in Radiant Garden, but with the features of OathKeeper on the left side, and Oblivion on the right.

"Strike Raid!" he shouted, as both Keyblades left his hands and flew out of the window. They crossed paths several times until they struck, and with yet another explosion of light, a motorcycle with Rider engines on its back and front sides took form, and flew until it was next to the window.

"Awesome!" cried most of the boys in the room, including Sora. Sora ran to the window, jumped out and landed in the seat of his new rider. He revved the engine and took off. He summoned the X-blade to his right hand, and flew around the tower a few times, shooting magical attacks at invisible enemies. He stopped next to the window and jumped off, dismissing the rider and his Keyblades.

He received appraising cheers from his friends and he removed his helmet, smiling at them. He turned to Yen Sid.

"Why two months of training?" he asked.

"Because I know for a fact that they do not know who the Princess of Soul is, or where she is located, otherwise they would have taken her already. You see Sora, after the X-blade was forged ten years ago, I took the liberty of locating her myself, and with my own magical prowess being far beyond any of those inexperienced fools, I can assure you that she is safe, otherwise I would have been alerted by this creature."

He took off his pointed hat and reached inside. His arm went in down to his shoulder and he had a look of concentration. Then he yanked out what appeared to be a small round white—

"Did you seriously just pull a rabbit out of your hat?" demanded Rai, while the others just stared at Yen Sid as though he was a fool.

"This is no rabbit my boy," he said. "This creature was created by a witch from another world, and it has enough magical power to destroy a world, though there is no real way for her to harness this power. She is Mokona Modoki, and she has been my companion for many years,"

Mokona was small enough to be held in a man's palm, but she was shaped like an egg, with two inch long arms and giant feet. His years hung down behind him, and she had a little clip on earring and a huge ruby imbedded in her forehead. Her eyes were just thinly slanted lines, and she was staring at Sora with an intense, yet passive look.

Sora walked up to it slowly, and when he reached out to touch it, it suddenly pounced at him and grabbed hold of his face. The Twilight Town folk all cried out in shock as Sora struggled to get Mokona off of him. When he finally pulled her off he threw her away and she hit the floor, rolling like a ball, making an odd noise that sounds a bit like "kurokurokurokurokuro".

The fairies giggled at the creature's antics.

Sora leaned against Yen Sid's desk, and looked to the sorcerer.

"Mokona," Yen Sid scolded. "That was very rude."

Mokona stood up and smiled at Yen Sid.

"Sorry Master," she giggled. "I couldn't help myself!"

She climbed up Sora's shoulder and snuggled against his cheek.

"Sorry," she said. Sora picked her up and held her in front of his face. He smiled.

"Sometimes it's hard to pass up a prank," he laughed. Hayner, Pence, Ollete and Vivi gathered around to pet the adorable creature,

"She's so cute!" said Ollete. Pence nodded in agreement while Vivi scratched her behind the ears. She loved the attention.

"Now then," said Yen Sid, reclaiming their attention. "Tomorrow we will begin Sora's training."

He waved his hand and there was a clicking noise by the round door that led to the storage room where Sora had met the fairies the year before.

"In that room there is a hallway with your living quarters," he was addressing everyone. "Along with any necessities our support crew will be needing, a kitchen, training room, and so on. Go and get some rest, Sora. I will be handing out jobs for your friends."

Sora nodded and placed his hand on his breastplate, and his clothes returned to normal.

Yen Sid watched as Sora left the room. Then he turned to the Twilight Town gang.

"Now, if any of you object to being a part of the support crew for any reason, not is the time to say it."

"Well," said Ollete. "We do have school next week."

"Parents," said Fuujin.

Yen Sid closed his eyes in thought.

"Your parents will be informed of your whereabouts, and I will provide for your education for the time being. This is a matter of security you see, because if the Lucid Key Elite stretch their reach too far, everything we know will be destroyed. I am asking you now; will you help Sora save the world?"

"I'm in," said Seifer.

"Me too!" said Hayner.

"Count me in, ya know!" grinned Rai.

"Sora needs us!" said Ollete.

"Yes," said Fuu.

"I want to learn magic too!" said Vivi.

"Friends till the end!" said Pence.

"Yaaaaaaay!" shouted Mokona.

Sora was standing on the other side of the door, and he smiled warmly. He walked down the hallway, wich had quite a few doors, which had nameplates of all his friends, until he found the one with his name on it. He entered and found a large bed, with a dresser, and star patterned pajamas hanging on the door to the bathroom. He went into the bathroom, did his business, took a shower, found a toothbrush, brushed his teeth, and climbed into bed. He fell asleep almost instantly, the exhaustion of two days finally catching up to him.

KHKHKH

The next morning Sora woke up at 9 am, according to the alarm clock on his bedside table. He got up, took a shower and brushed his teeth, and headed to Yen Sid's office. The Sorcerer was there with the others.

"Good, everyone is here," he said. "Here are your individual duties for the next two months. Hayner, Raijin, Fuujin and Seifer, you will be working on a new ship for Sora to travel in, as Keyblade Riders are not always as efficient as we would like. Gummi Ships are easy to build, and require no real training or experience to build, but I have left basic instructions for you just in case. The garage is down a stairway past the bedrooms. Pence and Ollete, you will be working in the kitchens. Vivi, you will be Sora's personal assistant until he leaves this place, and if you do a good job, I will teach you the art of sorcery."

Everyone agreed to their jobs, though Heyner was a bit reluctant to work with Seifer's crew.

"Now Sora, it is time to begin your training. Put on your armor."

Sora did as he was asked and the world suddenly went dark. When he was able to see again, he was on his platform, though larger than usual, and he was surrounded by the entirety of Organization XIII, including a fourteenth one he had never seen before.

Yen Sid appeared next to him.

"Every day you will fight every member of Organization XIII until you are defeated. These are all based on your memories, even memories you have lost, and do not worry about dying. If you are defeated you will try again until I say you have had enough. Now—"

He vanished.

"GO!"

Weapons suddenly appeared in the hands of every member of the organizations, Roxas with Oathkeeper and Oblivion, and the unkown member with the Kingdom Key. Sora called forth the X-blade and braced himself for the coming fight.

**Next Chapter**

**Sora's training continues in:**

**Life in the Tower**


	7. Chapter 6: Life in the Tower

**Your ever beloved authors here with a little announcement.**

**Check out the fic's new FACEBOOK PAGE (just search Kingdom Hearts: Shattered Unity on Facebook) with art from the fic and a photo collection with previews from most of the worlds we will be exploring!**

**If you follow us on Facebook, there will be a notification for every new chapter**

**SO!**

**Once again it is time for another (very long) installment**

**Of**

_**Kingdom Hearts**_

_**Shattered Unity**_

_**Chapter 6**_

_**Life in the Tower**_

_**(Recommended song: Mysterious Figure from Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep)**_

Weapons suddenly appeared in the hands of every member of the organizations, Roxas with Oathkeeper and Oblivion, and the unkown member with the Kingdom Key. Sora called forth the X-blade and braced himself for the coming fight.

But instead of attacking, the group of Nobodies leapt off the side of the pillar, save for two. Sora was about to give chase, but instead had to duck under a swing from a Kingdom Key.

Yen Sid immediately announced "Round 1, Xion and Roxas...Start!" Though they were merely memories, they certainly did not lack the ability to fight. Roxas immediately made a high-speed rush at Sora much how he did before at the World that Never Was. Sora blocked every strike thrown nearly effortlessly. Suddenly Sora was struck from behind by Xion, reminding him that this wasn't a duel. As Sora was hit, he tried to turn and face Xion for a counterattack, but then Roxas's keyblades crossed themselves against Sora's neck. He thought he would be done for at this point when he'd gotten an idea. He cast a firaga spell at the ground to help him escape his situation. Xion and Roxas were temporarily blinded and Sora used the opprotunity to sweep Roxas and throw Xion on top of him. The two organization members made some noises indicating they'd been hurt. Sora turned away, ready to leave. He heard something as he took a few steps.

"Not yet." Sora spun around to find Roxas suddenly in his face with the Oblivion just past his head. He was stunned, as it didn't occur to him that they might talk.

"I won't be defeated by a mere memory..." Sora retorted as he kicked Roxas away and swung the X-blade down, shattering Roxas' Oblivion. Just as the Oblivion broke into tons of pieces, Xion struck Sora in the face with the Kingdom Key. He was sent back with a bloody nose and a slight concussion. As he tried to recover from his daze, Xion was already attacking Sora left and right. There was almost no way to recover properly for Sora. Just as Xion made a lunge that made an opening for Sora to attack, he recovered and launched his counterattack. Just before the X-blade hit Xion though, Roxas knocked Sora's blade down with the Oathkeeper.

"Tch...Didn't think you'd be this persistient!" Sora yelled as the X-blade pulsated and charged up with Thundaga-level electricity. He spun and smacked Xion's Kingdom Key into the air, launching her away with several volts of electricity. Just as he was about to bring the attack full circle and hit Roxas, Roxas jumped over Sora's swing and caught Xion's Kingdom Key. In one swift motion, Roxas threw both of the keyblades as if performing Strike Raid, but they both ended up forming an X. Sora braced himself for the attack as the two keyblades struck the X-blade with enough force to leave a bit of an impact on Sora's surroundings. He then swung them back toward Roxas, hoping to give him a taste of his own medicine. Roxas instead caught the two keyblades and spun, keeping their momentum as he threw them agian yelling "Second Raid!" This time Sora couldn't afford to try guarding. He instead jumped up as high as possible to avoid the keyblades. They whizzed just underneath him, and Sora relaxed a bit. Unfortuantely for him the kingdom key had snagged part of his pants and flung him down face-first into the ground. Xion recovered from Sora's attack and did the same thing Roxas did, tripling the two keyblade's force and momentum yelling "Third Strike!" Sora tried to stand up and quickly cast Reflega to defend against the two keyblades. As both keyblades sped toward Sora, they clashed against the barrier and sparks flew as though it were a chainsaw against an iron wall. Sora focused all his energy into the X-blade as it pulsated and threw back the kingdom key and oathkeeper at Xion and Roxas faster than they could react. Both of the memory-forms vanished instantly upon impact, and Sora stood victorious.

Yen Sid appeared next to him and pointed to the edge of the pillar. A stained glass stair case began appearing step by step in a shower of sparkles.

"There you will find your next battle," he said. Yen Sid vanished again and Sora scaled the steps before him. When he made it to the next platform three figures were waiting for him

"Round Two, Axel, Larxene, Marluxia...begin!" Yen Sid's voice boomed as the three drew their weapons. Sora made a rush for Marluxia, hoping to take out the long-ranged weapon first. Sora made rapid attacks this time, casting Aeroga to follow each swing. Marluxia smirked as he spun his scythe around to deter the gale winds. Sora got close and swung toward Marluxia, when he was suddenly hit from both sides by Axel's chakrams and Larxene's lightning daggers. He screamed in pain as Marluxia brought his scythe down, sparing Sora no mercy, ready to decapitate him right then and there. Sora used a quick Blizzaga spell to cut off the pain he was feeling and to stop the scythe, as the ice rose up, knocking the blade off course. Sora dashed out of the immediate area and threw a quick Firaga ball at the Ice he left, shattering it like a grenade. Ice shards flew everywhere, knocking Larxene's blades and Axels chakrams out of their hands momentarily. He took the moment to charge in while they were down. He thrust the X-blade foward, yelling "Sonic Blade!" as he dashed forward and at Axel and Larxene. Each had wailed in pain as he made his movements, when suddenly he was caught off-guard by a tremor. He stopped to find Marluxia atop a large nobody-like platform. The thing had two large scythe-blades for what appeared to be arms, and flower petals seemed to flow all around fluidly. Sora leaped up to attack Marluxia, cutting off both arms as he shot up. As he approached, Marluxia moved the large platform and knocked Sora back down toward the ground, where Larxene was throwing her lightning daggers at Sora. Sora figured there wouldn't be much challenge to her tactics, and turned to face her as he prepared to thrust downward. Axel came up from behind him though and threw a rather large flame stream to Sora's back. Sora was nearly roasting alive as he propelled to the ground, ready to take out Larxene. When he landed he drove the X-blade down, and hoped he'd hit her. When the smoke cleared, he saw that around him in a circle, there were daggers in all directions. Suddenly they all lit up with lightning and electrocuted Sora in place like a lightning field. While Sora was taking all this damage, Axel threw his Chakrams into the mix, to generate a blaze tornado. Marluxia then flew in for the finishing blow as each flower petal that fell above Sore became a blade that shot downward toward him like a magnet to steel. A large explosion of flame, lightning, and flower-blades erupted and boomed. Yen Sid almost called this match over, when Sora shouted and swung the X-blade, dissipating the attacks that were hitting him. Sora was furious; especially that he might be losing to mere memories of people from his past.

"I won't be done in by my memories..." Sora scowled as he rushed through and destroyed Larxene's blades.

"If I've beaten all of you once before..." Sora told himself as he started to really get angry. He then ran at Axel and swung the X-blade with an incredible force. Axel tried to block, but Sora cleaved the chakrams in half as he attacked.

"Then you are all going to lose again!" Sora gripped the X-blade with extra force, and it pulsated until it grew at least twice its length, just glowing white. Sora jumped up and sliced Marluxia's platform in half, which exploded as the two parts were severed. When all seemed like Sora had won, He was suddenly cut up by the numerous flower petal blades in the air, which were all now electrically charged and blazing like the fire in Sora's eyes. He shrieked in pain and dropped the X-blade as he cringed over from the damage.

"Worthless...you'll never get back what's yours." Larxene taunted.

"You should just give up. Let this pain be seared into your body till it's got it memorized." Axel followed.

"After all, you can't even beat a mere memory...you don't even know if we're real or fake...all you will know is your death by my hand..." Marlixua finished.

Sora rose up, beaten on both physically and emotionally. His arms and legs ached with an intense pain, but he was standing on willpower now. Sora picked up the X-blade as it glowed yellow and blue. He could no longer feel all the stinging pains, he just simply acted. He slashed rapidly at the three Organization members as he said...

"Ars Arcanum..."

Larxene tried to defend herself with a Thunder barrier, but Sora cleaved right through it...and her. He rose up in midair, and the X-blade fired off dozens of smaller beams at Axel.

"...Ragnarok..."

Axel tried to manuver his way through the beams, finding defending too difficult without his weapon. When he noticed the beams seemed to stop moving, he realized he wasn't acutally dodging them. He ended up trapping himself. Sora snapped his fingers and each suspended beam exploded, and Axel vanished.

Marluxia brought his scythe up and slashed out several gale slashes at Sora, all of which seemed to dissapate upon contact with the X-blade. The pink petals seemed to close in on Sora, ready to strike. Marluxia grinned until he realized they stopped. The petals then slowly drifted to the floor harmlessly.

"What's going on?" Marluxia barked. Sora said nothing as everything turned black for a second. All that could be seen was one large white line. The sound of Marluxia's scythe snapping in half was heard as he fell to the floor, vanishing into nothingness.

"Zantetsuken." Sora said as he stopped. The X-blade stopped glowing, and all of Sora's pain was really starting to rack itself fast. He quickly cast about four curaga spells to make things better. He scaled a new staircase to a new platform. He was taking deep breaths now, and Yen Sid said nothing more than...

"Round three, Luxord and Demyx, begin!"

The Nobodies in question stood facing him, grinning menacingly, Demyx with his Scimitar at the ready. Sora saw Luxord start to make some large cards spin rather rapidly, but then quickly flattened down by Demyx's water spawns. At first it wasn't clear exactly what was going on, but Sora overheard their conversation.

"Your water is getting in the way of my techniques..." Luxord was barking at Demyx.

"Maybe you should stop having your cards get in the way of my water." Demyx spat back.

From what Sora could tell, the two were horribly coordinated, and were getting in each other's way. He stood there, watching the scene unfold.

"Dammit! I can't work with this! My music cannot be slowed down cuz of your methods old man!" Demyx shouted. Luxord's face displayed pure rage, as he waved his hand and a cloud of smoke appeared where Demyx was.

"Did you just turn me into a dice?" Demyx rolled and bounced around, fuming. Sora looked in amazement, wondering exactly what Yen Sid intended for him to do with this. Luxord chuckled to himself as Demyx just complained and rolled, unable to fight back. He then turned his attention to Sora, and kicked the Demyx-dice at him. Sora kicked the dice back, which resulted in a rather loud scream of pain from Demyx as he was tossed back and forth. Luxord pulled out a large card and a swirling vortex opened up on the face of the card. Demyx was sucked in and it attempted to trap Sora within it as well. Demyx was crying the entire way, now sealed twice. Sora's smile faded as he ran around Luxord, avoiding the card vacuum. Luxord turned to see Sora swinging the X-Blade at his face, and he quickly ducked. He then spawned numerous card stacks and vanished into the mess of it all.

"The time for games is over, boy" Luxord taunted at Sora. Sora said nothing as he launched numerous Firaga spells at every card, burning them all until only Demyx's card was left.

"Could ya let me out now? I don't care for being treated like this old man," Demyx was screaming from inside of his double-prison. Sora ran over to Demyx's card and threw it at Luxord, which Luxord easily dodged. Sora then jumped high in the air as he swung the X-blade down on Luxord. Luxord blocked using the Demyx card, which then dissolved into the dice form again. Sora then leaped again, performing the same attack, but from a higher distance. Luxord had a little more time, but ultimately decided to just block with the Demyx-dice. When the X-blade was brought down on the dice, Demyx shouted a large string of profane language before the dice vanished, as well as him. Luxord had little option left and tried to jump at Sora, who then leaped into the air a third time. Luxord tried to throw a large card blade at Sora from close range, but Sora tore right through it with the X-blade, shouting "Blitz!". Luxord faded almost immediately.

Sora was dumb struck, but shook off his thoughts as he scaled the next stairway.

"Round Four...Vexen, Laxaeus, and Zexion, begin!"

Sora looked at these three, knowing that he'd never fought them for sure...but here they were. Regardless, he hadn't lost yet, so he figured he wasn't about to start now.

"Zexion, Laxaeus. Operation D." Vexen commanded. Suddenly large pages flew and circled around Zexion. Laxaeus then ran foward, making a wide swing at Sora. Sora jumped and struck downward to counter, but then Vexen suddenly jumped in between, blocking off the X-blade with his shield. From it, a freezing cold ice wave flew out at Sora, sending him backward. Laxaeus then struck the ground with his tomahawk, splitting the floor into a fissure that traveled directly toward Sora as he landed. Still recovering from the last attack, Sora did his best to stand up, but was too slow. The fissure attack knocked him upward into the air, where he was then surrounded by pages. They all shone with a bright light, blinding Sora. When he opened his eyes, he couldn't find the three anywhere. Instead, he only saw Riku.

"Riku!" Sora called out. He reached out his hand to Riku's outstretched one. Suddenly Sora remembered that Riku couldn't be here. Instead he retracted his hand and ran forward, ready to cut this fake down. Just as he got close enough to swing, he saw Mickey, Kairi, Donald and Goofy step out from behind Riku. He stopped in pure shock. The X-blade fell from Sora's hands as he was at a total loss for words and thoughts.

Outside of the illusion, the basement dwellers watched as Sora stood in the center of the platform, his one eye glazed and devoid of any thought.

"Everything is going according to plan..." Vexen chuckled.

"Shall I increase the shock?" Zexion asked.

"I could just cut his head off as he stands there..." Laxaeus said.

"Let Zexion's illusions continue to run their course for now." Vexen replied.

Sora fell to his knees. He couldn't hear what the three organization members were saying, much less know where they were. All he knew is that he was now seeing his best friend's and Kairi, his love, right in front of him, even though they couldn't be real. The fake Riku in front of him spawned the Way to Dawn, as he handed Kairi Destiny's Embrace. Each other illusion of his friends drew their weapons, ready to strike Sora. Each made a move toward Sora. He knew they weren't real, they couldn't be. He quickly picked himself up and braced himself with the X-blade for defense. However, as each illusion attacked him, they just passed right through him and vanished. Sora dropped his guard when they all vanished, wondering what was happening. Suddenly, he saw Xehanort's keyblade sticking right through his chest. The intense pain rushed and followed.

"What's...going...on?" Sora was coughing up blood. This couldn't be real. He was about to lose again. To be proved powerless, and unable to save his friends.

The Xehanort illusion spoke once to Sora.

"At your current strength, you are nowhere near strong enough to take me on. I'll keep your friend's body as mine forever, and I'll make good sport of your girl too."

Sora tried his best to stand up and fight back, but he was already losing consciousness. Laxaeus walked up behind Sora, who was trapped entirely in Zexion's illusion. As Sora fell to the ground, Laxaeus raised his Tomahawk.

"One as weak as yourself can never defeat us." He swung the blade down on Sora's neck, ending the battle.

Sora awoke some time later to find the battles and illusions all over with. He was in his regular clothes and his eye patch was gone. He quickly rose up from his bed, still feeling all the pain. He looked around for Yen Sid, but instead saw Hayner, Vivi and Ollette.

"What happened?" Sora asked him.

"Dude...you lost...big time." He replied.

KHKHKHKH

All Riku could see was darkness. All around him, above and below, was pure blackness. His heart was pounding from the hate the darkness was exuding. He felt nauseous.

He had attempted to retake his body when Xehanort was taunting Sora and revealing Riku's love for Kairi, but to no avail. And now he was here.

He walked.

After what felt like an eternity he came upon a man. The man had spiky brown hair, that reached to the base of his neck in the back and was styled into rather messy, vertical spikes and bangs that frame his face. He had blue eyes and slightly tanned skin. He was wearing two intersecting straps over his chest, almost resembling criss-crossed suspenders. He had a peculiar golden badge on his belt that resembled an upside down Nobody emblem. He wore a skintight, black, high-collared shirt, showing that he was rather muscular. His belt was tied like an obi-sash and he wore hakama, His hakama were dark grey near the top, with several loops for his belt and two buttons, both of which were undone. The rest of the pants were tan with a small, lighter stripe of tan on the bottom hem. Terra wears a plain black wristband on his right arm, while his left arm is significantly more armored.

He wore armor on one arm, with a large ornate crest and a long, segmented section, each segment alternating between dark grey and dark red reaching all the way to the bottom of his hand. He also wore a black, fingerless glove on his hand and what appeared to be a black gauntlet on his forearm, over the segmented armor, which also has small pieces of dark red armor on it. Finally, his armored boots were dark brown and gold.

Standing across from the man was a bald, bent old geezer wearing Xehanorts outfit and sporting the same Goatee. The old man looked at him.

"Ahh," he croaked. "Our new guest has finally arrived it would seem."

The brown haired man turned and looked upon Riku with a critical gaze.

"It would seem my successor has fallen," he said.

Riku recognized the brown haired man.

"I know you," he said. "From when I was little."

"Yes, I chose you to succeed my Keyblade if I were to fall in battle."

"Ahhh," said the old man. "But he did Master Terra. And just like you, he fell into darkness. And now he is here."

"Shut up old man!" snapped Terra.

"Where are we?" demanded Riku.

Terra pointed at the old man.

"He has taken our hearts captive," he growled. "Master Xehanort, you scum!"

"Xehanort?" cried Riku, attempting to summon Way to Dawn, but failing.

"This is my realm boy!" cackled Xehanort. "Your powers and your Keyblade are mine!"

"Our master would be ashamed Xehanort," said another voice. They all turned to see a black haired man with a mustache and many scars. "I warned you of the Darkness, but you paid no heed, and now the worlds—"

"Are mine Eraqus," interrupted Xehanort. "Soon the X-blade will be mine as well. That boy will not keep it from me."

"Boy?" said Eraqus. "What boy?"

"It is not Ventus if that is what you are thinking."

"Then who?"

"My new nemesis. The one chosen by Kingdom Hearts itself to wield the X-blade."

"Who Xehanort?" roared Terra.

Xehanort smiled as Riku said the name.

KHKHKH

"Sora," said Yen Sid quietly as he crossed Sora's bedroom, Mokona Modoki sitting on his shoulder. "You did well in terms of your battle prowess, but I have to say I am rather disappointed."

"Dissapointed?" asked Sora, taking a glass of water from Vivi while Hayner and Ollette watched the sorcerer worriedly.

"You let your emotions betray you Sora," he continued. "And not in just the last battle. The entire time you were relying on instinct and your rage to fuel your power. That is not the way of a True Keyblade Master."

Sora scratched his head.

"Wait, I thought I was already a Keyblade Master," he said.

"Not so. You have yet to attain your Mark of Mastery."

"Mark of Mastery?"

"It is a tradition passed down from Master to Apprentice. It is where the Master determines whether his pupil has indeed earned the title of Master. Needless to say you have a lot of work to do before you take the test again."

"Wait, that was my Mark of Mastery test?"

"Yes. You are a Keyblade Wielder of Light, and you must learn that a Master of Light does not rely on his emotion in battle, but his skills and his personal logic. A Master of Light will protect those close to him, but the worlds must come first. Let your Heart guide you, not the darkness within it. Anger leads to obsession and obsession leads to Darkness. A Master of Light must keep a still heart under any circumstances. One thing my old friend Eraqus, the Grand Master from long ago believed was that Darkness was the enemy and must be destroyed. That was a great mistake which almost led to him murdering his own students."

"What happened to him?"

"He was murdered by Xehanort."

Sora was taken aback by this.

"Where are his students?"

"One was lost to darkness. One lives within you. The other is lost in the darkness, but she has not been overtaken."

"You mean Ventus?"

"Yes."

"Are those the ones who are suffering, the ones connected to me?"

"Yes, while you are combating the Lucid Key Elite you must seek out the one called Aqua. She will lead you to Ventus' body, which is slumbering far beneath the remains of their home world."

"What about the last one?"

"To save him you must kill Xehanort."

Sora looked down. Hayner, Ollette and Vivi were watching him intently. He looked back up at his master.

"Teach me Master Yen Sid," he said, pulling himself off of the bed. "Teach me to keep a still heart so I can stop Xehanort once and for all!"

Yen Sid nodded and motioned for him to follow.

Sora followed Yen Sid to his office.

"First you must learn to control your anger. I will give you some scrolls on a lost art called Tai Chi. It will help you channel your energy and help you relax while teaching you methods for self defense if a Keyblade is unusable. Some worlds will not take kindly to someone wielding a magical key to fight people."

Sora nodded. Yen Sid passed him the scrolls.

"Go down to the garden and read these scrolls. Do not attempt it just yet; you are still recovering from the test. Just rest and relax, meditate a bit."

Sora thanked his master and left the room.

"Master Yen Sid," said Vivi, tugging on the sorcerer's robe. "Will Sora be okay? He was really quiet."

"In time my boy," said Yen Sid, watching the door. "Come, I will teach you a fire spell."

Ollete and Hayner exchanged worried looks and went down to see Sora. They passed Seifer on the staircase.

"There you are Chickenwuss," said Seifer stopping in front of the two and pointing an accusing finger at Hayner. "We are waiting for you in the garage, where were you?"

"None of your business!"

"I think it is my business, Chickenwuss!"

"Seifer, why are you here if you are just going to be a jerk?" exclaimed Ollette, getting both boy's attention. Seifer stared at her quietly, before he passed them up the stairs.

"Because I want to do something that matters," he said angrily. Hayner frowned, and looked at Ollette who just looked like she had done something wrong.

The two walked down the stairs hoping to find Sora outside. When they stepped outside they couldn't find him at first, but walked through some hedges and found him sitting cross legged in front of a small vegetable garden. He was surrounded by open scrolls depicting complex movements and poses. His eyepatch lay at his side, and he was breathing softly.

"There you are!" said Ollette, as she walked up to Sora. She went to touch his shoulder but Hayner stopped her. He shook his head.

"What?"

"He's asleep!"

A closer examination revealed that Sora had indeed fallen asleep.

"Let's just leave him alone," whispered Hayner. "I've got to go work with Seifer. You should go start lunch with Pence. I'll come get him when lunch is ready."

Before they turned around, Sora was on his feet.

"Sora?" said Ollette, taking a step towards him. She lost her breath as she suddenly felt an intense pressure emanating from the young wielder. Sora called forth Oathkeeper and Oblivion. He stuck them into the ground at his sides and summoned the X-blade. He planted it in between the other two.

Then he took a few steps back and slowly lifted his arms out in front of him, his muscles very loose. He then went into a high squat, his arms moving downward with his palms flat, facing down. He moved his left leg closer to his right and then took a big step, moving his arms over and under each other like he was manipulating something. His right arm moved to his side while he held his left in front of his face. He took another step with his right leg turning 180 degrees and was now facing his two friends, his right hand waving through the air, his eyes trained on his palm. He then repeated the turn and hand motion. His arms slowly waved in front of his face, as his legs moved gracefully into different standing positions.

He continued his exercises for some time while his friends watched; he seemed to not notice them until he was facing his Keyblades again. He grabbed Oathkeeper and Oblivion and slowly lifted them out of the ground. He then began to swing them around elaborately, not practicing attacks, but just his own maneuverability. Hayner and Ollette watched him in fascination for about five minutes before Sora froze in place and dropped his Keyblades before coughing violently. They gasped and ran to his side.

Sora clutched his side and turned to look at them. He flashed a grin and recalled his weapons.

"I should've kept napping," he groaned. He saw their concerned faces and dropped his smile. "I think I'm going to sleep out here for a while. Call me when lunch is ready."

"Don't overwork yourself dude," said Hayner. "You won't get stronger that way. You will just do more damage to your body."

Sora turned away from Hayner for a few seconds and then looked in between them before grinning again.

"You're right, I don't think I'll be training for a while. I'll rest before I try anything again."

His friends smiled and turned to walk away, while Sora lowered himself onto the grass with his hands behind his head before he went back to sleep.

_I'm going to do this right,_ he thought to himself. _I'll work hard, get stronger, and then I'll save my friends! Don't worry guys. I'm coming!_

KHKHKHK

**One Month Later**

Within two days of Sora's failed attempt at the Mark of Mastery he had begun training with Yen Sid yet again. He had a strict training regimen of morning meditation and Tai Chi, mid morning strength exercises, noon time magic lessons with Vivi as his training partner and afternoon sword technique. Yen Sid was rather amazingly skilled, and they were sometimes joined by Hayner and Seifer when they were not needed for work on the Gummi Ship.

Sora's skills with the X-blade were growing and he learned new techniques with it every day. He had been able to replicate, convert and enhance the very techniques Vanitas had used against him into light type techniques and he felt he could take on a member of the Lucid Key Elites one on one and win. Yen Sid remained convinced that they were training just as hard as he was.

Sora learned elemental techniques that had seemed to have been lost in time, like Firestorm, Diamond Dust, Thunder Bolt, and his new favorite Bladecharge, all courtesy of Yen Sid. They allowed him to combine his physical attacks and magical attacks based on element type. Bladecharge on the other hand, where he converted his spiritual energy into a magical blade that enveloped his X-blade or Keyblade of choice.

Every day he would train, and when he was not he would be working on the ship or playing with Vivi and Mokona. Seifer and his gang were as cold as ever, but their hostility was wavering. Seifer and Hayner had become very tolerant of eachother, though they would argue about a Gummi block here or there and Sora would place it for them.

Pence and Ollette were fantastic cooks, thanks to the cook books borrowed from Yen Sid. They would make dishes from many worlds, and even the old sorcerer became interested in their skills, often requesting complex dishes for them to experiment with.

Rai and Fuu were good mechanics, but still followed Seifer's every word religiously. They would make snide remarks to the others, but never really acted on it knowing Sora was not their biggest fan.

Everyone took an interest in Sora's training, and Hayner and Pence noticed that Ollette was the more interested than any of them. When he finished training she was always there with a glass of water or a snack she had prepared. Vivi was jealous of this because he was supposed to assist Sora. Pence was jealous of the snacks Sora was eating. Hayner was just concerned with Ollette herself.

Sora may have been naïve, but even he noticed certain advances and the way she blushed when he spoke to her, and it made him sad. It made him think of the last time he saw Kairi. So, not liking to be a downer, Sora ignored it and was thankful for her kindness and friendship.

So, life continued in the tower. Their friendships grew and stories were told, but like all happy tales, even this one had to end. And new battles begin.

KHKHKHKH

Sora stood in front of Yen Sid's desk with Mokona on his shoulder. Yen Sid was looking out his window at the stars above.

"Xehanort has made his move," he said. "Their search for the Princess of Soul has begun and we do not have much time before they locate her. Your training will continue as normal, but I thought it would be best to be on your guard. They already know where you are, and they will not hesitate to destroy this tower and everyone in it at a moment's notice. Be careful Sora."

"Yes Master," said Sora. He bowed and left to continue his training.

Yen Sid watched his student leave before pulling out a crystal ball from his cloak.

"I think it is time for a real opponent to test his skills," he said. "Someone even I cannot defeat."

The next day, Sora was eating breakfast with the Twilight Town gang and sharing stories of his previous adventures and fighting Mokona over a plate of bacon when Yen Sid burst into the room.

"Sora, in my office!" he stated before leaving. Sora stood and followed.

When they reached his office Yen Sid turned to face him.

"Sora, there is a matter of grave importance I need you to look into," he said. "There is a powerful sorcerer not far from this world and I need you to locate him and see what he is up to. He is a master of the powers of Darkness and you need to reach him before Xehanort does. If you must destroy him, do so."

"Where is he Master?"

"He is drifting in the Lanes Between on a large asteroid. What he is searching for, I do not know. Confront him, and defeat him. Take Mokona with you so I can remain in contact."

"Yes Master," Sora nodded and ran back to the dining room. He shoveled down a few bites, grabbed Mokona and ran out of the tower at break neck speed. Yen Sid was outside waiting for him, with his friends, who looked dazed.

"Wha-?" he began. Seifer pointed at Yen Sid.

"Sora, don't forget to wear your armor while in the lanes, and do be careful. Remember what I taught you, to keep a still heart and a calm mind."

Sora grinned and said his goodbyes. He shook hands with the guys, had a staring contest with Fuu, got a peck on the cheek from Ollette and a hug from Vivi.

"See you guys later," he said.

"Have fun!" shouted Mokona from the top of Seifer's fuming head.

"You're coming too!" he shouted, grabbing the creature before slapping his breastplate and applying his armor coat combo and creating his rider with Oathkeeper and Oblivion. He shoved Mokona inside his coat, waved and flew off world.

"So who does he have to fight?" asked Hayner.

"A sorcerer," replied Yen Sid.

"You think Sora will win?"

"No, but he has surprised me before," said Yen Sid with a kind smile.

As Sora sped away, he knew that this would be a defining point in his growth as a Keyblade Master. And on he rode, through the Lanes Between, until he saw it. A massive space rock hurtling through the lanes, and standing atop it was a tall imposing man in dark blue and black armor with gold trimmings and a long cape with red lining. He dwarfed Sora in size and emanated the purest darkness.

Sora flew up to the rock and recalled his rider before landing in front of the man. Still in his armor he approached the man and could feel his eyes on him beneath his helmet.

"Who are you?" asked the sorcerer in a very deep voice.

"I'm Sora," replied the boy. "Who are you?"

The man watched him for a few seconds before replying.

"I am Golbez. What business do you have here, in the Lanes Between?"

"My master sent me to find you. His name is Yen Sid—"

"Yen Sid?" interrupted Golbez. The asteroid began to shake as Golbez lifted off the face of it and into the air. "You dare speak his name in my presence? This is an outrage! How dare he send a child to face me instead of doing so himself? This will not go unpunished! You must die!"

Sora called forth the X-blade and readied it in a defensive stance.

"So you possess the legendary X-blade, do you boy? It will not help you!"

Golbez extended his hands as the asteroid began to break apart. Sora almost lost his footing, but stabilized. With a shout, Sora leapt at Golbez, and the battle began.


	8. Chapter 7: Golbez Lemme See What You Got

**Authors Note:**

**(Kailyn) Hiya ppl! Thought I'd leave a lil personal message here!**

**So Sora is now battling against Golbeza (we are using the English name, Golbez...which is only missing the a at the end so we're not too bothered by that.) and things are about to get rough. Anyone who's seen the vid on YouTube called GOLDbez's theme, I'd like to say that it thankfully won't be that insane...though I do kinda wish I could make it so.**

**That's all from me~**

**Now on to**

**Kingdom Hearts**

**Shattered Unity**

**Chapter 7**

**Golbez! Let Me See What You've Got!**

(Recommended Song: Battle with the Four Fiends [Black Mages rock version])

Sora swung the X-blade downward, trying to cut Golbez down in one go. Instead, Golbez quickly dodged out of the way and sent Sora flying with a sudden blast of darkness from his right hand.

"Let us Start." Golbez said.

As Sora was sent hurdling toward another asteroid, Golbez made one swift motion of his other hand and a wave of dark explosions traveled toward Sora, knocking him through a nearby asteroid.

"No mercy."

As Sora crashed, the rubble was sent everywhere. He managed to recover quickly though, and pulled out his rider. He hopped on it and flew at Golbez, charging forward with the X-blade, which was now cloaked in a freezing Ice mode known as Diamond Dust. The X-blade flew right past Golbez's head, and attempted to freeze him there. Golbez took the hit, and was quickly frozen from head to toe. Sora landed down on the Asteroid, recalled his rider, and looked at his opponent.

Something about this fight had been too easy.

"Look Sora!" Mokona shouted at him. Sora focused, and then noticed that the frozen Golbez was forming cracks in the ice. Golbez then broke himself out of the ice with a mighty roar.

"Your tricks are nothing before me, boy!" Golbez lifted both of his hands as what looked like purple lightning emanated from them, connecting to various asteroids nearby. Sora couldn't tell what was about to happen, but whatever it was, it couldn't be good. Sora converted the X-blade into Bladecharge mode and decided to rush at Golbez, hoping to interrupt his attack. Golbez merely laughed as he suddenly stunned Sora with the purple lightning and made the asteroids rise slightly.

Sora was starting to freak out. He was being tossed and turned every which way, and to top it all off he was in space. Golbez continued his attack as the rocks moved closer to him and began to spin rapidly.

"Time to part." He said. With that, Sora was suddenly being attacked by the rock launch. He didn't have much time to think, so he quickly spun himself around holding the X-blade steady, forming an unorthodox buzzsaw of a defense. When he stopped, Sora noticed the asteroids launched by Golbez had whizzed past him, and he was safe for the moment. He turned to face his opponent, who was now suddenly in his face. Sora screamed in shock and propelled himself back with the Bladecharge.

"Careless!...A gift." Golbez taunted.

Golbez moved his hand down and a small black orb appeared above Sora, firing a thin red laser down on him. Sora got caught in the attack, and was still attempting to regain balance. Golbez then flew right up next to him, shocking Sora with black and purple electricity. He taunted at Sora, "No Escape!"

As sora was thrown backwards by the attack, he got a bright idea, and quickly summoned his rider and flew back at Golbez at an insane speed. This time, Golbez was too slow to react, having just finished an attack, and was tackled into the large asteroid he was on before, destroying it into several pieces. Sora flew upward and used the X-blade to launch an impressive beam slash from the Bladecharge, which then eradicated the rest of the asteroid's debris. When Sora looked down to try and find Golbez, there was nothing to be seen.

"Did I get him?" Sora asked Mokona.

Before Mokona could answer, a deep bellowing voice was heard right behind him.

"Hardly."

Sora's eyes went wider than a moogle's nose as Golbez pushed Sora's face downward until he drove it into an asteroid.

"Endure this!" He shouted, as a large surge of dark lightning shot out from under Sora, launching him upward.

Sora was really starting to take the damage in now. He hadn't expected an enemy to be so tough, but now was not the time to lay back in shock. He gripped the X-blade as his armor shone with a silver light and color, and his Oathkeeper and Oblivion Keyblades spun around him in addition to the X-blade. Sora flew at Golbez at high-speed, this time letting the two separate keyblades do most of the striking. Golbez caught both in each of his hands, protecting himself with a surging darkness.

"Can you keep up?" Golbez asked as purple lightning then shot out from them, zapping Sora in a quick shock.

"I'll erase you!" Golbez shouted at Sora as the dark lightning continued its surge. Sora screamed in response, and both keyblades broke free of Golbez's grasp. The dark lightning was then dispersed as Sora threw off the savage attack. Sora then charged Oblivion with Firestorm, Oathkeeper with Diamond Dust, and the X-blade with Thunderbolt as he attacked Golbez once more.

"Try this on for size!" Sora shouted as each keyblade whizzed at Golbez, launching multiple elemental strikes at him all in that instant.

"Triple Element Slash Burst!" Sora shouted as each struck at Golbez from every direction, until he brought them all upward and charged all three with Bladecharge. Golbez's armor showed several signs of damage from the attack, but somehow Golbez himself seemed to be unhurt. Sora continued his attack anyway and brought the keyblades down.

"Hyper Aura Bladecharge!" Sora swung the three keyblades down on Golbez, who was now attempting to block with every ounce of energy he had in him. Each fighter roared at the other with all their energy, when suddenly a dark slash wave interrupted the two.

"What?" Golbez shouted. "Who dares to interrupt my match?"

Sora moved back, looking for the new opponent, when he heard a cackling laugh.

"Hyaheheheheheh!" Kigara swooped in on the two, laughing his head off as his keyblade pulsated in a malevolent darkness. "Look at this! Here we are just passing through and look what we find! Light boy and a faceless freak!"

He wasn't alone either. Azulong and Feratu Flew in behind him. Sora immediately froze in place, the memories of the month before flashing before his mind's eye. Azulong took notice and laughed.

"What's the matter boy? Scared?" Azulong threw a dark fire stream at Sora as he continued taunting.

Golbez easily knocked the flame aside with a swift dark magic sweep, and retorted to the intruders.

"You waltz in unannounced, interrupt my fight, and above all else you attack me." Golbez was pulsating with darkness as he began to throw several dark waves at the three Elites.

"Prepare yourself!" He shouted. Sora stood there horror-struck, watching Golbez attack his enemies.

"Kyaheheheheheheheheh!" Kigara shrieked as he flew upward and then dove down with his keyblade.

"You're no match for us old-timer! Time to check-out!" Kigara yelled as he swung downward, bringing his Fist of Apu down on Golbez. When Sora thought that Golbez was defeated, He started to move, slowly regaining composure. Then he noticed that Kigara was being pushed back.

"What?" Kigara yelled. "How is this possible?"

Golbez had caught Kigara's keyblade with his hand, which was surging with dark electricity. Sora took a deep breath and rested easy until he saw Feratu sweep in with a lunging attack, and Azulong throwing large pillars of fire toward Golbez. Sora quickly dashed in to cut them off, but suddenly Golbez threw Kigara back at Feratu and Azulong, making all three fumble.

"Back off!" Golbez yelled at Sora. Sora was taken aback.

"But why? They're my enemy too!" Sora shouted.

"Don't worry about it." Golbez replied. "I'll handle them. Tell Yen Sid that I approve."

Mokona piped in "You heard the man! Let's go!"

Kigara shook his head as he looked at Sora and yelled "He's getting away!"

Sora vanished along with Mokona before anyone could react. The last thing Sora could hear was Golbez shouting.

"Creature of Shadow!"

KHKHKHKHKHKH

Yen Sid was standing in his office facing towards the door, when the space in front of him warped into a tear shape and seemed to liquefy. The mixture of colors splashed down onto the ground and in its place in a crouching position was Sora. Sora stood and pulled off his helmet.

"What happened?" Yen Sid demanded.

"I met Golbez," Said Sora, as Mokona scurried out of his jacket and onto his shoulder. "He attacked me when he heard your name and we fought, and I thought I was holding my own until the Elites showed up."

"The Lucid Key Elite?" Yen Sid took a step towards him.

"Yeah," Sora muttered, hanging his head in shame. "Three of them. And I froze. I-I don't know what came over me, I just stopped moving."

Sora turned away from Yen Sid and removed his armor.

"All I could see was Kairi, Riku, Mickey, Donald and Goofy staring at me, expecting me to do something. And all I did was watch as Golbez stood up to them. And as I watched, I realized that I still have so much to learn and so far to go. Golbez just overpowered them so easily; he even grabbed the Keyblade right out of Kigara's hand! I could see the fear in his face and I knew that, no matter how cruel or evil, they feel the same things I do. They saw Golbez and they were afraid of him! I saw the humanity in that evil! Even Golbez, who uses the power of darkness and did not hold an ounce of light saved me and told me to return to you!"

"What are you saying?"

Sora turned back to his master and lifted his eye patch and looked at Yen Sid with a determined smile.

"I'm saying that I know Golbez is a good guy, and really bad at hiding it. If someone as dark as him is good, then what about the Lucid Key Elite? One of them helped me and, if she is good then what about the rest of them? I know I have a mission to kill Xehanort and save my friends, but I want to save them too!"

"Save the Lucid Key Elite?"

Sora pointed at his yellow eye.

"If this infected eye can be returned to normal then they can too!"

"What about the ones who are too far gone?"

Sora looked Yen Sid in the eye.

"I'll hope it doesn't come to that."

Yen Sid looked upon his apprentice with narrow eyes and nodded.

"What happened to Golbez?"

"He sent me away and wanted me to tell you he 'approves'."

Yen Sid nodded and sat down at his desk.

"Golbez, as you know is an unmatched master of the dark arts, but he is not an evil person. As a matter of fact I asked him to attack you as a way of effectively testing your abilities in a life or death situation. What he meant is that he approves of your ability."

"But who is he?" Sora asked.

"I met Golbez long ago when I was still learning under my own master. He was just as powerful then as he is now. You see, he had just left his home world on a journey of self-discovery after being held under the control of an evil being and almost destroying that world with his own hands. His brother was the one who stopped him and helped him through the tragedy that he had caused. Now he roams the realms between and he and I are close friends to this very day. If what you say is true, and the Elites attacked him, we have just gained a very powerful ally. No doubt, you will encounter him many times along your journey."

Sora smiled at the prospect of meeting Golbez again.

"Yeah, and after that, he and I have a score to settle!"

Yen Sid chuckled and leaned back in his chair.

"Now then, we still have another month of training ahead of us. If Golbez approves of your fighting skills, then your training will be cut in half from this point. You will be studying the forbidden precepts of the Keyblade Order which I salvaged from the Land of Departure before Organization XIII took it and renamed it Castle Oblivion. You will learn the secrets even my master forbade me from reading."

Sora cocked his head and almost knocked Mokona off of his shoulder.

"Why?"

"Because if you are going to master the X-blade, then you must learn of its nature, where it comes from, why it chose you as its master, and only the precepts can tell you this."

Sora looked down and thought about it.

"Wouldn't that be cheating?"

"Excuse me?"

"Well, no offence master, but I don't need help from a book to master the X-blade. Not to sound all high and mighty, but I think I'd rather master the X-blade like I mastered the keyblade: hard work, patients and defeating my enemies. The X-blade isn't just a weapon, but a tool to bring on either peace or destruction. It's not something you can master by opening a book and reading an instruction manual. It's something that you have to trust, and you have to gain its trust as well."

Yen Sid chuckled before smiling at his student.

"Sora, your naivety will always surprise me," he said.

"Huh?"

"Never mind. Do what your heart tells you, and I know you will succeed."

"Thanks, I guess."

"Continue training normally, and be ready for anything. Now, it is time for dinner. Pence and Ollete made steaks."

"Yum!" cried Mokona, jumping on Sora's head. "I'm sharing with Sora!"

"I won't get any then!" Sora shouted back, struggling to get Mokona off of him.

KHKHKHKHKH

**Two Weeks Later**

The following weeks after the fight with Golbez were relatively uneventful. Sora continued with his rigorous training, though he had replaced sword technique with meditation and regular Dives into the Heart. Sora's progress towards a still heart and mind were going very well. His mastery of the X-blade was going very well, and his skills increased at a normal rate. He would spar against illusions created by Yen Sid, and sometimes Hayner or Seifer, but that just left Hayner on the ground whining and Seifer storming off.

During his training sessions, he would often teach Vivi simple magic spells and he would give Hayner tips on defense. During his meditation sessions in the garden Ollette would bring him a snack. She sit with him and they would chat, while Sora ate. Most of the time others would join, but always refused Sora's offers to take some of his snack, except Mokona, who usually ate half of it before his hand touched the plate.

One day, during his meditation, Vivi came to call him.

"Master Yen Sid wants you Sora!" he waddled about, continuing to practice a thunder spell as he walked.

Sora opened his eyes and Stood up. He walked to Yen Sid's office and entered.

"You wanted to see me Master?" He bowed.

Yen Sid was staring out his window, as he liked to do. He turned to face Sora and sat down.

"Sora, I want you to finish your mark of mastery exam tomorrow. You will resume from the last battle you had, then move on from there. Understood?" He leaned back in his chair.

"Yes Master." Sora bowed once more and left the room. On his way down, he decided to stop by and see what was up with the Gummi Ship. He waved to Seifer and Hayner as he walked in to help out.

"What's the latest update guys?" Sora asked.

Hayner looked at his clipboard.

"We're nearly finished here actually, just gotta stuff in the last few blocks for the engine." he said.

Sora took a look at the work so far. He noticed something seemed a bit different in the area near the opening to the ship.

It looked like it might not have matched the rest of it. Sora asked about it.

"Who worked on this area?" He looked at both Hayner and Seifer. Hayner just pointed at Seifer.

Seifer had no response. Sora spoke calmly, hoping to get the botched entryway for the ship fixed. Seifer testy as he is, snapped back.

"You got a problem with my work?" he asked. Sora wasn't expecting the sudden lip, and regardless he'd done nothing to warrant getting yelled at.

"What's your deal?" Sora asked. "I just have to make sure the ship is okay when I'm ready to save my friends...it's not that I don't appreciate what you guys are doing, but what is it with you?"

Seifer spat. "And why should you get to be the hero all the time? What makes you so much better than me?" He was pissed off, with a burning jealousy of Sora's abilities and freedom that flashed in his eyes.

"Look, I didn't ask to be what I am today. I'm just doing what I think is right." Sora said flatly.

"Don't give me any crap about how none of it is your decision!" Seifer was shouting now. "Why is it that you of all people get to go where you want, with a magical power that almost nobody else will ever have? I want to be the one that people look up to as a man of power and stature. Instead some other kid gets the special weapon and the ship. Remind me why I have to give up my goal of becoming a great leader, and instead help out a guy I barely know?"

Sora was taken aback. He had no idea Seifer was harboring such feelings and will. It wasn't like he didn't know about Seifer's strong personality, but he didn't see this coming.

"What in the world makes you think that any of what I do is all that glory-filled adventure? Just because I go between different worlds and fight people doesn't mean at all that I'm enjoying this. You know, you've got some childish fantasy about what it's like to be a hero. Maybe you should think a little more about what it really means to be a hero before chastising me." Sora turned to leave.

Seifer threw his tools down and pulled his custom struggle bat, which had been modified for use outside of struggle battles, from his coat.

"Don't you walk away from me you freaking punk!" he shouted.

All the while Hayner only uttered a few words to himself, while rubbing his eyes tiredly.

"Totally saw this coming."


	9. Chapter 8: Mark of Mastery

**Authors note:**

**Kailyn likes children's card games.**

**Rockabilly does too.**

**Kailyn likes em more.**

**Rockabilly, well who knows.**

**In any case, development for the TT kids? *gasp***

**and now**

**On to**

**Kingdom Hearts: Shattered Unity**

**Chapter 8:**

**Mark of Mastery**

Sora sighed. The last thing he wanted to do was fight someone he didn't have to. He turned to face Seifer, who had his bat drawn and eyes filled with anger. Sora could tell that he wasn't going to get away without fighting him.

(reccomended song: Liberi Fatali - Final Fantasy VIII)

Seifer jumped upward and lunged at Sora, shouting and screaming in fury. Sora sidestepped Seifer when he landed and gave him a swift punch to the gut. Not a moment seemed choppy in Sora's movements, and he used the pause to create some distance between the two of them. Seifer stood back up and recovered quickly, as he dashed foward swinging rapidly. Sora was watching and was able to continue to dodge Seifer's attacks again and again.

"What is it with you? Won't bring out your keyblades? Am I not good enough for you?" Seifer shouted as the speed of his swings picked up as the bat started to burn through the air. His attacks got faster and seemed to heat the air more and more with each swing. Sora could feel the heat, but hadn't given it much thought.

Instead he dodged continuously until seifer left an opening. Sora swept his legs, and let Seifer fall.

"Seifer. I don't want to hurt you by drawing out my weapon." was Sora's reply to Seifer's arrogance.

Seifer stood up though, and shook his head as he prepared to attack again. He swung at Sora and held his other hand out. Sora moved in swiftly and did a various number of punches and kicks toward Seifer. Just as he nearly hit Seifer in between his openings, Seifer launched a fireball from his spare hand that he'd been charging. It hit Sora clean in the face and he was thrown back. Just as Sora rubbed his face and recovered from Seifer's flame attack, he'd looked up to see Seifer above him, ready to swing his bat down on Sora's face.

Sora quickly recovered, and caught Seifer's bat as he swung it downward. Seifer stopped in a bit of shock, as he thought he had Sora right where he wanted him. Sora stood up and knocked the bat out of Seifer's hand. He quickly tried to block Sora's counter, but was too slow. He took another punch to the gut and was shoved to the ground. Seifer laid on his back, defeated and disgusted. Sora stood tall above Seifer and told him the cold truth.

"Seifer, if you want to even think about being a hero, you'll have to fight much better than that." Sora turned and left the room to go back and meditate.

Seifer stayed on the floor, thinking about his defeat.

Hayner ran a hand through his hair and looked at the mismatched gummi block, and then at his clipboard. He made a noise of surprise and quickly replaced the block.

"Sora was right," he said. "If he took off with this block on here, the door would have opened up and the ship would have been done for! Did you do this on purpose?"

Siefer didn't say anything. Hayner's eyes widened and his jaw dropped.A split second later he was on Seifer, clutching his collar and shouting in his face. Seifer was completely emotionless the entire time.

"What the hell is your problem? Are you trying to kill him? What if you and I were on that ship? What if the others were on that ship? You freaking idiot!"

He finished his tirade by punching Seifer in the jaw.

"HEY!" shouted a femine voice. Hayner was yanked off of Seifer by a large hand and suddenly,Rai was looking him in the eye, and Fuu was next to Seifer, trying to pull him to his feet.

"That wasn't cool y'know?" he shouted. "What was that for?"

"Let him go," said Seifer, standing up and walking towards the exit. "I screwed up. Thats all there is to it."

"If by screwed up, you mean conspiracy to murder," said Hayner. "Then yeah that's one way you could put it."

"Seifer would never do that, y'know?" shouted Rai, getting back in Hayner's face.

"Preposterous," said Fuu calmly.

"He's right," said Seifer quietly. "I tried to mess up the ship. I've failed."

With that he walked out of the garage, leaving his band of followers baffled, and Hayner fuming.

When he got to Yen Sid's office the Sorcerer was there at his desk, looking into his crystal ball. Sora was nowhere in sight.

"Master Yen Sid," he said quietly. "I can't do this anymore."

"What is it my boy?" asked Yen Sid. "What is it that troubles you so?"

"I messed up. I let my jealousy get the better of me and I sabotaged the ship. Sora saw it and asked about it and I attacked him."

"That explains why Sora looked so sad when he passed through here."

"Sad?"

"Sora is not like most people. He holds no ill will against anyone or anything, other than Xehanort himself. The fact that you, someone he has grown to trust has hurt him quite a bit. But because of his loving nature, he will forgive you in no time, whether you choose to apologize or not. Now, you'd best take the rest of the day off and cool your head."

"But-"

"We all make mistakes Seifer. Some worse than others, but your mistake was caught before it was too late. Just do us all a favor and don't do it again. Off with you now."

Yen Sid waved his hand and turned back to his crystal ball. Seifer was speechless and just walked away without another word. He walked downstairs until he got to the garden where Sora and Vivi were playing some kids game while Ollette and Pence watched from the sidelines, chatting. Seifer just stood and watched them for a while before Sora noticed him. Seifer made to say something but Sora raised his hand to stop him and just gave him a thumbs up and a grin. Seier stood silently for a moment before he chuckled and walked away.

Ollette looked at Seifer's retreating form before looking at Sora, who shook his head and went back to his game with Vivi.

KHKHKHKH

The next day Sora stood before Yen Sid, his armor on, and his friends watching from behind him.

Sora bowed to his master and listened as he spoke.

"Today you will be tested to determine whether or not you have what it takes to be a Master of the Keyblade. You will continue from where you left off, but there will be some surprises for you along the way. We will be watching from my crystal ball. Now go!"

Sora was blanketed in darkness once again as he dove into his heart.

Sora stepped foward. Before him were the two pillars he had left to conquer. He looked up with a fierce determination in his eyes. Yen Sid nodded and raised his hand as he created a flight of Stairs for Sora to walk up on. Sora clenched his fists as he walked up them.

"Round Four, Vexen, Zexion, Lexaeus. Begin!" Yen Sid's voice echoed throughout the room as Sora prepared for his battle with these memory forms.

Vexen issued his commands and the battle began.

"Let's do operation C this time." He said.

(Reccomended song: Any Means Necessary - Hammerfall, Deathmatch - Final Fantasy XIII soundtrack)

The fight started with Sora empty handed, as he took a quick moment to think about what keyblades would be effective. His time to decide was brief though, as the opposing Organization memory forms made their assault.

Zexion charged up his illusions once more, but this time Vexen took on the main offense. Sora took a defensive stance as Vexen flew forward, cloaking himself in a flurry of ice. As Vexen approached, he burst the ice apart, and tried to freeze Sora. Sora used his footing to move about, dodging the ice debris as they shot forward, and juke out Vexen's attacks. Vexen smiled as he'd predicted at least this much. As Sora continued to evade, he stabbed his Frozen Pride into the floor.

From it, a large icy wind expanded and froze over the immediate area. Sora reacted quickly as he spawned the Bond of flame and threw it at Vexen's shield sticking it in the front. From the point of contact, Sora then cast a quick firaga to ignite the keyblade and undo Vexen's icy wind. A large flame pillar erupted and the Bond of Flame vanished as Sora recalled it, summoning the Metal Chocobo in his other hand. Just as the keyblade formed in his left hand, Lexaeus came flying through Sora's flame attack, swinging down his Skysplitter on Sora. With his newfound strength, Sora parried Lexaeus head on as they both shouted and roared in strength. As Lexaeus landed, Sora called upon his Bond of Flame keyblade once more and swung at Lexaeus with a firey slash. Lexaeus stomped on the ground as a stone pillar rose up almost instantly to block Sora's attack.

"You're not beating me today, boy!" Lexaeus roared as he knocked Sora's Metal Chocobo back and headbutted him. Sora was slightly stunned and took a couple of steps back. Lexaeus then struck the ground, creating more stone pillars. Sora stood up, recovering from the attack. He happened to see Lexaeus ready to swing and shatter the pillars. The instant he did, Lexaeus destroyed the pillars and sent an incredible amount of stone spikes at Sora.

"Dammit..." Sora muttered as he proceeded to dodge as many stones as he could while parrying any he couldn't dodge. As the assault continued, Vexen lept up after recovering from the earlier flame attack and sent a torrential storm of ice needles at Sora.

"I can't dodge and block this many..." Sora thought as the ice attack approached him. He parried with Bond of Flame long enough to plant Meatl Chocobo in the floor.

Once he did he took quick cover behind it and cast reflega, providing himself with a stable defense for now.

A flash of blinding light shone as the reflega shield he put up sent bursts of light magic back at Lexaeus and Vexen, and Sora stood. He looked at the Vexen and Lexaeus lying there, and looked for Zexion. Just as he'd spotted him, Zexion vanished. Sora then heard two shouts around him. He turned to see Vexen behind him and Lexaeus above, both attacking with a massive amount of force. Sora's eyes went wide and he launched a Firestorm coat over Bond of Flame, propelling him out of the immediate area. The ice and physical attacks exploded as Sora barely escaped.

"Did I get them?" Sora thought to himself. He looked around for Zexion once more. This time he saw Riku as he last remembered him.

"I must've been caught in his illusion once more..." Sora told himself as he closed his eyes. He stored both keyblades away and took on his stance for Tai Chi. If anything would help, this might aid him in breaking the illusion. Vexen and Lexaus dashed to attack Sora, each with their weapon drawn and cloaked in ice and earth magic respectively. Sora heard their footsteps instead of relying on his eyesight, and moved to dodge their approach. As they closed in, Sora could feel their presence, and managed to clasp his hands on their wrists, reversing their attacks onto each other. Upon doing so, both the Vexen and Lexaeus memory forms faded as each had been pierced by the other's weapon.

Sora took a deep breath in and out as he continued his martial arts, hoping to sense Zexion's prsesnce. Something was odd though. He couldn't feel Zexion anywhere.

He opened eyes, hoping for a moment that he'd be able to see Zexion somewhere, and then remembered that he was still in an illusion. When he opened his eyes, he saw Kairi before him. Her eyes were closed and she was leaning foward as if they were going to kiss. Sora was immediately startled by this and lept back, as the Kairi illusion opened her eyes.

"Sora...why couldn't you save us?" she moaned. "I thought I could count on the man I loved..." She continued. Sora wasn't feeling too good about this. The Kairi illusion kept spouting various remarks about Sora's weakness and powerlessness, until Mickey, Riku, Donald, and Goofy illusions appeared as well.

Sora had had enough. The emotional pain he was feeling couldn't continue. He tried to sweep all the illusion forms of his friends with a thundaga spell, but more just appeared.

Finally Sora got a bright idea, remembering one of Yen Sid's early lessons on how to deal with illusions and but the inside of his lip, letting some blood out, and disrupting Zexion's aura that had invaded his system. To perform an illusion, one must force their aura into the body of another person, and manipulate the contents of their mind. And as the blood flow is the path a person's aura takes, the moment his blood flowed out, the illusion was broken and Sora could see Zexion in the distance.

Sora rechained both keyblades before heading off to fight Zexion, now holding Guardian Soul and Star Seeker in their place. Zexion meanwhile had used the brief time to prepare his next attack, and enveloped himself in a dark aura.

Sora rushed foward, ready to take out his last opponent when Zexion flashed in a brilliant array of darkness. Sora stopped and was temporarily blinded. While Sora was blinded, he felt something wash over him, as though his memories and body were being put through a scanner. When he could see again, Zexion had taken on the form of Cauldishek. Once more Sora was frozen dead in his tracks. He just couldn't stand to see the face of one of the elites that wrecked his life, real or fake. He stood paralyzed by fear, all the while trying his best to force himself to move. Zexion had gone as far as to create a memory-form of Cauldishek's keyblade as well and lifted it up as a meteor started to rain down toward Sora.

"Dammit! Not now!" Sora yelled as he struggled to move. He willed for his legs to run with all his might, but instead he stood shaking as a meteor came flashing down toward him. Just as the meteor was right in front of Sora, his legs finally let him run. It was too late however, and Sora was struck by the massively powerful attack. Zexion chuckeld slightly as he walked toward Sora, who layed down beaten from the last attack. Sora now struggled with an intense amount of pain instead of fear, and tried his absolute best to stand. He slowly rose up as Zexion had been taking his sweet time walking toward Sora.

"It's time for you to go to sleep now Sora." Zexion taunted. He swung the fake Photon Destroyer down to deal the finishing blow, but Sora had fallen down, just in time for the swing to miss. Zexion laughed at Sora's attempt to survive as he toyed with Sora. Sora wasn't about to quit this battle so easily though, as he'd managed to squeeze out enough MP for a curaga. A green flash of light shone over Sora and he stood, with enough energy to fight effectively once more. Zexion was suddenly stunned by Sora's recovery and hesitated to move at the pure amazement. Sora took this opprotunity to finish the fight with a cross slash using both Guardian Soul and Star Seeker.

"It's over!" Sora shouted as a wave of light and dark showered out from both keyblades's slash marks. The Zexion memory form had faded and Sora stood victorious.____

Sora took a few deep breaths and rechained his keyblades for the upcoming battle. Saïx, Xaldin, Xigbar, and Xemnas. The upcoming battle would be much harder than before. As he walked forward, the Ultima Weapon took shape in his left hand, and Two Across took shape in his right. He walked up the flight of stairs with an incredible feeling of determination in his eyes. If he completed this test, he would be ready to take on Xehanort and his elites. He saw the platform's floor in plain sight, along with his four opponents. This platform had some images carved into it, unlike the last four. On it, he saw himself and he saw both Ventus and Roxas beside his image. The moment Sora set foot on the platform, a blinding flash of light shone, and a barrier shone around the edges of the pillar. Yen Sid's voice boomed and announced the final round.

Round 5! Saïx, Xaldin, Xigbar, and Xemnas. Begin!

(Reccomended songs: In the land of twilight - .hack/SIGN OST, Final Overture - .hack/G.U. OST)

Sora walked to the center of the platform, where a laser shot right past his face. Xigbar made the first shot, and Sora was on the move. The shots appeared all around him as Xigbar made use of his space manipulation powers. As Sora ran about, dodging shots, Xaldin used his spears with the wind to circle and trap Sora where he was. Sora had no openings to attack, as shot after shot came and went. As he continued to evade the endless onslaught of projectiles, Saïx dashed in to slash an impressive strike down on Sora. The moment Saïx brought his blade down, Sora had enough time to move out of the way and strike back. Sora parried off Saïx with the Ultima Weapon and went in for a quick thrust to his opponent's face. Just before his Two Across made contact with Saïx's face, a booming voice shouted

"GUARD!" and deflected Sora's attack.

From the sudden wall that Xemnas created, Sora was thrown back a few feet, and the onslaught of Xigbar lasers resumed, only this time they were joined by Xemnas ethereal shots as well. Sora shoved his Ultima into the platform below and used it to stop himself, and balancing on the blade, he threw up Two Across and shouted

"REFLEGA!" and a blue shield formed around him just as the bullets and ethereal blades struck. The reflection magic shot out and eliminated the remaining projectiles that would have struck. Sora caught his Two Across and shone with a bright light. His armor changed to become more golden as Sora donned a more masterful look. He set foot back down on the platform and crouched down. Saix and Xaldin charged forward with a massive crescent style attack utilizing both Xaldin's lance dragon and Saïx's berserk claymore rush. Sora held both keyblades in a defensive stance as he continued to move forward. When his blades clashed against the massive lance/claymore combo, Sora spun around, using the enemy's momentum to drive their weapons into the floor. Both Xaldin and Saïx were temporarily stuck and Sora used the opportunity to counterattack. He ran up the mass of metal and spikes till he'd dashed past both and two lines of white and black shone behind him.

"Dual Zan Counter!" Sora shouted as both Xaldin and Saïx both screamed in pain and vanished.

Sora jumped off of the edge of the massive weapon pile and landed as the metal faded with their owners. Xigbar changed his dual guns together to his signature sniper rifle while Xemnas ran in with an insane erethral blade combo. Sora once more ran in, ready to parry Xemnas's attacks at each strike, but just as he lifted the Ultima weapon to block, Xigbar shot it out of Sora's hand, and Sora was knocked back by Xemnas's strike. Slightly frustrated, Sora jumped high into the air as he charged his keyblades with the an intense Aeroga magic.

"Wind!" Sora shouted as his keyblades propelled him toward Xigbar. Xemnas tried to catch up to him but Sora shot past him at high speed. Xigbar quickly defused his sniper rifle into his two handguns and rapid fired at the oncoming Sora. As sora charged forward at Xigbar he dove up and down, avoiding the oncoming attacks. Before Xigbar could react, Sora tackled right into him, and slammed him against the barrier wall. Xigbar coughed and fainted, but did not fade. Clearly Sora wasn't done with him yet. Xemnas was charging at Sora with a blinding speed and fury, so Sora turned to face his other opponent. Just as Xemnas got close to Sora, he vanished. Sora was confused and looked around for his opponent as he took on a defensive stance. A deep voice sounded from above.

"Perish!" Sora looked up to see Xemnas dropping downward, laser-first. Sora dodge rolled out of the way and dashed forward to attack Xemnas.

"Sonic Blade!" Sora shouted as he performed an unprecedented double Sonic Blade rush. Two Across struck Xemnas in the chest, and as Ultima Weapon approached for the second hit, it was shot out of Sora's hand once again by Xigbar's laser. Sora looked over to find that Xigbar had made his recovery and would have to be dealt with too. When Sora turned around again, he noticed that Xemnas was gone. Now he was really lost.

"Where did he go?" Sora wondered to himself. Xigbar laughed and taunted Sora.

"Too bad little dude, looks like your luck's run out." He vanished in an orb of Darkness. Sora was concerned but not panicking. Suddenly the platform exploded, as a massive form erupted from beneath it. Sora cried out in surprise and fell until he hit the platform below. He slowly lifted himself off the ground and used Ultima to support himself. He pulled his helmet off of his head and tossed it aside as he glared at Xemnas' dragon mech, which floated above him, roaring its challenge. Upon its head stood Xigbar, and at his hips were the biggest guns Sora had ever seen. They were purple and white cannons, strapped to his waist, and the handles and triggers sat on top.

Xigbar shot off a few rounds in the air as a demonstrations and the entire dragon's body opened up revealing guns, missiles torpedoes and all kinds of insane weaponry, ready to fire. Its chest opened up to reveal a massive super laser, aiming right at him.

"THIS IS MY BOOMSTICK!" roared Xigbar insanley. "WHERE'S YOURS?"

Sora grinned at the challenge, recalled his keyblades and summoned the X-blade.

"RIGHT HERE!" Xigbar opened fire, as every turrent, cannon, and otherwise gunshot their blasts at Sora. Sora roared as the lifted the X-blade up, and slashed twice in the air. A golden X-shaped wave of energy blasted forward. Sora launched it at the oncoming blast and it grew exponentially in size, until it crashed against the massive storm of enemy fire. Each blast continued to grind up against each other as sparks flew and the air itself shook. Xigbar and Sora were shouting at the top of their lungs as their blasts clashed with a thundering roar.

Xigbar and Sora's attacks remained fairly equal in strength, until Sora pushed himself forward, and so his X-slash moved forward with him. Xigbar's beams slowly were being overpowered, and Sora continued pressing onward, finally shouting out his attack's name.

"Twilight Edge!" With that, his attack overpowered Xigbar's and drove right back to all of his cannons and guns. As each weapon was engulfed by the explosion, Xigbar shouted out

"This isn't over Roxas!"

Just before the explosiong reached Xigbar himself, Xemnas jumped in front of Xigbar, and shouted out

"GUARD!", protecting Xigbar and himself with his wall. The mechs' weaponry on the other hand was toasted from all the high energy discharge that just occurred. Sora used his Aeroga spell to fly up to the platform where Xigbar and Xemnas were, and the true finish to the battle started.

(reccomended songs: Kouen - [Naruto Shippuuden Original Soundtrack 2] 08, Naruto Shippuden OST - Lightning Speed, Naruto Shippuden OST - Reverse Situation)

Sora's armor glimmered in a bright light, which was offset by a lucid darkness. He'd achieved his own command form, the Twilight Edge form. Sora leaped high into the air and stored the X-blade as his hands to glow. Xemnas kicked the wounded Xigbar out of the way as he flew upward with 2 rather large Erethral blades in his hand. Sora threw both of his hands outward as he launched several pale blue orbs from his hands, blasting at Xemnas with alarming speed and number. He crossed his arms and closed his fists as he finished launching all the orbs, shouting

"Starlight Shots!" as each orb whizzed by Xemnas and stopped. Xemnas continued charging onward toward Sora, when suddenly all of the orbs Sora launched homed in on Xemnas and converged under him. Xemnas raised both of his blades to strike Sora down, but was caught by the mass of Sora's starlight shot attack that closed in on him. Sora landed down on the platform and snapped his fingers. The large Starlight shot cluster exploded, with Xemnas in it. Sora turned to look at it, to make sure his opponent was defeated, and re-summoned the X-blade. Amidst the smoke and dust, a bright red laser shot from the grey area. Sora managed to block it, but suddenly more shot out, and eventually they too formed a cluster around Sora. He'd been trapped in Xemnas's laser dome like before, only this time he didn't have Riku to help him deflect the attacks. Sora made a quick decision and lifted the X-blade as it pulsed with Sora's aura. It then expanded to a massive height as Sora activated Bladecharge and spun around like a blazing cyclone, destroying the lasers before they could close in on him. Sora then ran to the injured Xigbar and kicked him up toward Xemnas. Xemnas looked at Xigbar's body that was flying at him. Xigbar groaned from the kicks.

"C'mon, way to kick a guy when he's down..." he said as he whizzed right under Xemnas and fell. Xemnas saw no further use for Xigbar and fired a laser down, destroying the memory form. Sora looked in a bit of shock that Xemnas would kill Xigbar, but shrugged it off as he continued to fight.

"Kingdom Hearts...is my ultimate goal...I won't let you keep me from it!" Xemnas roared as his robes changed from black to white and numerous black lightning patterns took shape on them. Xemnas now glowed with an immense power. He then proceeded to launch several streams of black and white lightning at Sora, taunting him the entire time.

"Nothingness is eternal, and therefore I am immortal!" Sora blocked each thunder strike that came at him until he jumped up to meet Xemnas in midair.

"You're going down, Xemnas!" Sora slashed at Xemnas, who blocked every strike. The two traded blows wildly for a while, when Sora attacked Xemnas parried. When Xemnas struck, Sora blocked. Their swings were getting fiercer by the second. Sora made a quick motion that went unnoticed by Xemnas, as his Bladecharge ran out of energy and shrunk back down to regular size. Sora's eyes widened as he felt that Xemnas now would be able to overpower him.

"Your powers of Light and Darkness are worthless before my powers of Void and Nothingness!" Xemnas yelled as he caught Sora in a fierce combo, knocking him back down to the platform hard. Sora struggled to stand as he felt that immense pain from losing the air battle. Xemnas descended and walked until he was standing over Sora. He lifted both of his Ethereal blades, ready to stab Sora and end the fight.

"Perish and become part of the Void." Xemnas said as he made his move. He drove the blades down, right on Sora. Sora smirked as he vanished upon contact. Xemnas' eyes went wide.

"What the...where did he go?" He looked left and right for his opponent, and then heard a scream from above him.

"You're going down with this!" Sora shouted as he swung the X-blade down, which still had some aura left from the bladecharge. Xemnas lifted both of his weapons in time to block Sora.

"Take on my Dusk Starburst!" Sora yelled as he pushed downward on Xemnas, the pressure from their battle increasing by the second. Xemnas grunted from the attack, which was pushing him into the floor. A massive spiritual force erupted and exploded from the contact, knocking both Sora and Xemnas down. They both got up and shrugged off the last blast as they readied themselves for another round of battle.

Sora ran forward, screaming at the top of his lungs. Xemnas did the same, and their blades clashed once more. They roared and broke off from each other, each taking a leap back. Xemnas rushed in toward Sora, this time with every swing a few extra lasers shot out at him. Sora did his best to block, but with one keyblade against two weapons plus the added shots it was getting to be a bit too difficult for him. Sora ended up taking searing damage here and there, and eventually fell down and backwards. Xemnas ran in for the kill, while Sora wiched in all his heart to have the strength to overcome his opponent. Xemnas made his final swing at Sora, who had stood up with a twilight-esque radiance around him. Just as Xemnas's blads approached Sora, he lifted his X-blade to counter both. The power surged through him, and it felt amazing. He could hear the voices of his friends cheering him on and telling him to win. Then...he heard one last voice before moving again.

"Sora...I love you."

It was Kairi's voice. Sora shouted as his motivation and energy skyrocketed, and Xemnas was knocked back. When Xemnas stood he was bewildered.

"How can this boy have so much power?" Xemnas grunted. Suddenly a dark pulse erupted from Sora's X-blade and Xemnas was blinded.

"What?" Xemnas shouted. He couldn't see a thing. Then suddenly he saw a white line of light. Followed by another that crossed it. Then another, and another, and more and more still he could only see white. He shouted suddenly as a massive explosion enveloped him and the Xemnas memory form vanished.

Sora stood with his back to the explosion of Stardust. He closed his eyes as Xemnas's memory form faded, and said

"Duskansuken."

KHKHKHKh

There was a flash of light and Sora stood before Yen Sid once old sorcerer was smiling sageley, while the Twilight Town gang were laughing and giving their congragulations. Yen Sid shooed them away, and stood in front of Sora with Mokona smiling from his shoulder.

"Sora, my apprentice," he said. "After watching your preformance and your progress over the last two months I have reached a conclusion. Today, as a former Master of the Keyblade Order of Light, I now pronounce you of still heart and mind, protector of Kingdom Hearts, the Princesses of Heart and the balance of Light and Darkness... Keyblade Master Sora!"

Sora smiled and looked at his friends silently, and they looked back at him, without a word. Before anyone could say anything, Mokona squeaked loudly, and the jewel on her forehead started flashing.

"Master Yen Sid!" he cried.

Yen Sid nodded and rushed to the crystal ball on his desk. He waved his hand over it and gasped audibly.

"Master?" said Sora, stepping forward.

"Master Sora, it would seem our foes have beaten us to our prize. When you last saw the Elites, it would seem that they passed you on pure coincidence. They were on their way to a land called East Crystal City. The Princess of Soul is in danger. It would seem the youngest member; the one with blue hair has infiltrated her school. You need to go there and retrieve her immediately. Try to avoid direct combat if you can. Don't use the X-blade unless completely necessary. Is the ship finished yet?"

"I think so," said Hayner."But we haven't been able to test it."

"Take your rider and Mokona then. When you get to the Princess of Soul, Mokona will bring you back here."

Sora nodded and put his helmet on. He grabbed Mokona, who squeaked, and shoved him into his coat. Then he ran to the window and leapt out. He summoned his rider and flew off into the night sky.

"He didn't say good-bye!" said Vivi.

"Yeah," muttered Ollette, staring out the window. Hayner looked at her and rolled his eyes.

"I wonder what we should make for dinner," said Pence.

"I wonder when I'll get to see any action," yawned Seifer.

Yen Sid sighed deeply and looked to the sky.

"If the stars do not deceive me, then it will be sooner than you think."


	10. Chapter 9: Princess of Soul!

**Sora has become a Keyblade Master, one of the youngest at the age of sixteen. While he has become stronger, faster, wiser, and has achieved what most haven't until the age of twenty, he now goes on to land the first critical blow to Xehanort and his army of Heartbourne.**

**He must rescue the Princess of Soul.**

**But, as it would turn out, Kigara, the insane seventeen year old Keyblade Wielder, has beaten him to the punch, and has infiltrated her school. Yen Sid has discovered this fact through his own powers of fortune telling and divinity. Sora must find her before Kigara can capture her and take her off world. Now Sora rides to East Crystal City, more powerful than ever before.**

**But Kigara and the other Elites have not been resting on their laurels. No doubt, the lesser ones have been training just as hard as Sora has in the past two months. The more experienced members have taken their own forces and have spread across the worlds, waiting for their chance to destroy Sora and his small band of kids and allies. And unlike the overconfident Organization XIII, they never work alone… **

**Now that Master Xehanort has been revived, using Riku as his vessel, wielding the power of four Keyblade Masters and taking Kairi, Mickey, Donald and Goofy as his hostages against Sora's efforts, Sora must be ruthless in his battle against him. He will attempt to save the members of the Lucid Key Elite from the darkness that clouds their eyes, and he will locate the only other known Keyblade Master, Aqua, and with her help, revive Ventus and hopefully free Terra, Riku and Eraqus from Xehanort's control.**

**Now armed with the X-blade, the most powerful keyblade of them all, he will save the world.**

**Now, prepare yourself for the epic adventure that is**

**Kingdom Hearts**

**Shattered Unity**

**Chapter 9**

**The Princess of Soul!**

Sora flew for about seven hours before he finally made it to his destination, East Crystal City. By the time he got there, he knew that he may have been too late. The world seemed to be surrounded with an aura of darkness, and the fact that, according to Mokona's senses, Xehanort's fleet was approaching fast, meant that he had to do this quickly.

Sora flew down into the world's atmosphere and began to circle the city from above.

"Mokona, can you get a feel of her general location?" he shouted over the roar of the engines on his motorcycle-like rider.

"There is a lot of darkness Sora," the little creature shouted back, hopping from his jacket onto the handle bars, seemingly unaffected by the wind. "If you take us lower, I can point it out for you!"

Sora nodded and killed his aerial engines. A set of tires materialized on the front and back of the rider and he landed in the street, and started speeding northwards towards the powerful aura she was sensing. Sora sped through the suburban traffic, zigzagging in between vehicles, and getting some profane language along the way.

Sora was driving through a busy residential street lined with houses, when he suddenly felt compelled to stop. He hit the brakes and squealed to a stop.

"What is it Sora?" asked Mokona.

"They're here," he whispered. He recalled his rider and summoned Oathkeeper and Oblivion. He disengaged his armor and perched Mokona on his shoulder. Cars sped past him, the drivers shouting at him to get out of the road. Suddenly, there was a loud noise of crushing metal behind him and he spun around, casting Reflega to shield him from the burning car that was flying his way.

"So, you show yourself, do you boy?" came the cool voice of Azulong, the fire elemental of the Elites.

"Master will be most pleased when we give him your head," said Sakaki, the apprentice of Cauldishek. "Don't you agree Kajime?"

The black haired teen girl was silent as she watched Sora rechain his weapons from Oathkeeper and Oblivion to Two Across and Ultima.

"So, you try a sneak attack to get me?" said Sora, his eyes switching in between his three opponents. "Not very sportsman like."

Traffic had stopped completely as people watched the exchange horror struck at the cold hearted killing of the driver inside of that burning car.

"It was worth a shot," said Azulong, summoning his Phoenix King keyblade. Sakaki summoned his Infection keyblade and Kajime summoned her Demon Slayer.

(Recommended song: Fairy Tail OST #1: Fairy Tail main theme)

Sora readied his weapons, and they rushed him. Sora quickly blocked a strike from Sakaki and pushed him away before ducking under one from Kajime. Azulong came at him from the front and spit a torrent of flames from his mouth. Sora cast Aereoga and was able to blow away the flames before they reached him.

Sora blocked a few more strikes from the younger Elites before doing a backflip to avoid a simultaneous strike, Kajime going for his legs and Sakaki for the head. Sora held his weapons in front of his face to block another fireball from Azulong.

Sora backed away from them quickly throwing balls of fire and shards of ice at them from his Keyblades. Kajime and Sakaki skillfully blocked and swatted them away while Azulong smiled deviously from behind him.

"He knows we aren't fighting seriously," he said. "So he isn't either."

"Should we pull out the big guns?" laughed Sakaki, returning fire, literally. He was blasting Dark Firagas as fast as possible, and Sora was blocking them skillfully, his face showing no signs of wear.

"I would like to see that brilliant X-blade in action again," said Azulong longingly.

"I say we finish this now," said Kajime. "Can we just kill him and get this over with?"

"Remember that Master Xehanort wants him to die by his hand. Capture him at any cost. Kigara is just getting out of school; he will be with us soon, the Princess of Soul in our grasp."

Sora was listening to their every word. So, she was just getting out of school. Sora decided it was time to get serious. He slammed his two keyblades together and in a flash he was holding the X-blade. The Elites took more defensive stances, and stood their ground.

Sora smirked before he started to glow with a silver aura. Mokona stuck her tongue out at them from her perch on his shoulder.

Sora's silver aura grew in size, and he started to growl at them, louder and louder until the street itself was shaking, and he was practically roaring. People in their cars got out and ran from the scene screaming in horror. The Elites held their breath, waiting for him to make his move.

Then he stuck his tongue out and disappeared. He warped away.

"WHAT?" roared Azulong. "Where the hell did he go?"

"He's up there!" shouted Sakaki, pointing at the rooftops. Sora was speeding away on foot, jumping from rooftop to rooftop.

"Get him you idiots!"

Sora ran as fast as he could as he dodged magical attacks that destroyed the roofs he ran on. He turned around and ran backwards as he deflected their attacks and returned some Starlight Shots of his own.

"Enough of this!" shouted Azulong as his entire body was enveloped in blood red flames. He shot forward by shooting the fire from his feet like rocket boosters. Sora stopped running and charged his keyblade with Diamond Dust and, then a few flourishes of the X-blade later, his entire body was cloaked in a freezing aura. He spun the X-blade in his hand like a baton and took a few steps forward, leaving icy footprints in his path. He broke into a run and with a mighty roar leapt at Azulong and lashed out. Their weapons made contact with a flash of light, and they struggled to gain leverage in midair. They both screamed at the top of their lungs and got right in each other's faces as they battled for control. They charged more power into their weapons, but reached the breaking point a few seconds later. There was a large explosion and they went flying in opposite directions.

Azulong hit Sakaki as he flew back and they went through a wall. Kajime watched on as Sora slammed into the roof of a house down the street, but was able to recover. He stood up and looked at her before running in Kigara's direction.

"How did he get so powerful?" she wondered aloud. "I don't stand a chance against him unless I pull out all the stops. Unfortunately Kigara has become more powerful in the last two months as well…"

Azulong landed next to her, wiping a bit of blood from his chin. Sakaki joined them later, flexing the muscles in his neck and popping the vertebrate.

"He won't be able to save you from us," said Sakaki, breaking into a run in Sora's direction. Kajime gasped quietly.

"Don't get your hopes up," said Azulong. "Let's go."

They followed Sakaki, but Sora was no longer in their line of sight.

KHKHKH

"There they are!" shouted Mokona from Sora's shoulder. "Look! Heartbourne!"

She was right. Sora stood on a rooftop, catching his breath as Kigara stared down a young girl, a few years younger than Sora, blonde, with a blue and white hoodie and a red cap, with glasses. They were talking loudly enough for Sora to hear.

"Now Princess," he was saying. "I need you to come with me."

"Why?" She whimpered, cowering away from the Heartbourne surrounding her. "And why do you keep calling me princess?"

"My master awaits. I am always there to please him."

Sora had had enough. Switching back to Oathkeeper and Oblivion in case he needed to escape on his rider, he shouted at Kigara angrily.

"And I will be there to stop him Kigara!" he roared crouching down in preparation to jump.

Kigara snarled and summoned his Fist of Apu, searching around frantically.

"AND MY KEYBLADE, FIST OF APU, WILL SMASH YOUR FACE IN LIGHT BOY!"

Something flew out of his hand and the girl picked it up.

"DROP THAT!" Kigara screamed, rushing at her, a dark aura forming around his body.

She dropped the card, shielded her face and screamed. Sora was there in a flash, blocking Kigara's keyblade and taking on the offense.

"MOKONA NOW!" he shouted over the screeches of Heartbourne. The two of them pushed apart and Sora was facing off with Kiryu and three Heartbourne.

"Sure thing Sora!" cried Mokona from inside the coat. She hopped out, scurried over to the girl and sat on her shoulder. Then it spoke to her. "Alright Princess you will be flying the Mokona Modoki private first class airlines! I will be your pilot today keep your hands and feet—"

"NOW!" shouted Sora, carving through one Heartbourne like it was nothing, as it vanished in a puff of black smoke.

"Alright, alright Mister Grumpy Keyblade Master!" Mokona seemed to inhale all of the air around her and she gave a shout that sounded something like "KaaaaaaaaPuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!" before a portal opened up from above them and huge white wings sprouted from the thing's back. A huge magical circle opened up beneath them. Sora hit Kigara with Thundaga to stun him before joining them in the portal, just enough time to see Master Xehanort himself appear, staring at him with the most extreme rage he had ever seen in his life. When Sora entered the gate that Mokona had created, he knew that the world they were leaving was doomed.

KHKHKHKH

Once again the teardrop formed in Yen Sid's office and Sora appeared again, this time holding a blonde girl in his arms. Yen Sid quickly looked out his window in the direction of East Crystal City, and his heart froze as he saw a star disappear.

Sora put the girl down and she stood shakily, taking in her surroundings.

"Sora, they will be here soon," said Yen Sid. "The ship is ready and operational. Get everyone on board and see to it that they are safe. Take them to Radiant Garden. Squall will watch after them. You have two hours before Xehanort gets here and he will be looking for blood."

"Yeah," said Sora as he and Mokona made haste, and ran down the hallway.

The blonde girl watched them go and looked at Yen Sid, teary eyed, but unable to speak. Yen Sid waved his hand and a chair appeared. She screamed at the puff of smoke and backed away quickly.

"Please, my dear," he said. "Don't be alarmed. My name is Yen Sid. I am a sorcerer."

"A-a-a-a-a," she stammered at him. "S-sorcerer?"

"Yes. What is your name?"

"I'm Ayumi. Ayumi Gearfried."

"Ayumi, what I am about to tell you will change your life forever. I know you are young, but things are happening, and you are at the center of it all. You are the legendary Princess of Soul."

"Princess? As in royalty?"

"Not quite."

Yen Sid took a breath before giving her a summary of what was happening. He explained that there were many worlds, and at the center was Kingdom Hearts, and that it had a counterpart in the form of a weapon called the X-blade and that Sora was its wielder. He spoke of the Princess of Soul and what it meant to be one. He told her that they were being hunted by the Lucid Key Elite and that they had keyblades, very powerful weapons. He said that they wanted her because they needed her to help them unlock the power of the X-blade, which was possessed by Sora, and that he, as a full-fledged Master was fighting a war to protect her and save his friends who were being held captive by their enemy Keyblade Master Xehanort.

When he finished explaining an hour later, she had calmed down.

"So," she said, tapping her hands on her lap.

Yen Sid raised an eyebrow.

"When will I wake up?"

"Wake up?" he asked.

"This is a helluva crazy dream. It seems so real, but I think I need to wake up and get ready for school."

"Young lady, this is no dream," he said, sounding slightly irritated. "This is very real."

She scoffed at him.

"Whatever, I know that in a few seconds my alarm is going to go off and I'm going to be late for school because of traffic, and then Mandie's going to start something as soon as she sees me and then I'm going to get in trouble for fighting and get grounded again."

"You had an eventful life, it would seem," said Yen Sid solemnly.

"Had?" she asked, looking at him with narrow eyes.

"Ayumi," he said cautiously. "Your home is gone. Xehanort wiped it out. Everyone on that world is… gone."

Ayumi stared at him wide eyed, tearing up.

"N-no," she whimpered. "Don't say that! I'm dreaming! I have to be dreaming!"

She felt a hand on her shoulder and she looked up to see Sora, his eye patch gone, revealing his yellow eye.

"I'm sorry," he said. "But it's true. I know it's hard to believe, but Xehanort's evil is beyond real. He took everything from me, and now I'm fighting to get it back."

She wiped her eyes and sniffled.

"I want my mom," she said quietly.

Sora frowned and looked away.

"Me too," he whispered. "I didn't get to say goodbye to my mom either."

"What am I supposed to do now?" she asked.

"You will go with Sora and learn to use magic to defend yourself," said Yen Sid. A staff with an ivory rod and a blue orb at the top appeared in front of her. "You must help us stop the Lucid Key Elite, and avenge your home world, your family and your friends."

She took the staff and looked from Sora to Yen Sid and back.

Sora smiled at her.

"Don't worry," he said. "I'll be with you the whole way! I'm Sora!"

She wiped her eyes.

"I'm Ayumi."

"Well then," he said, clapping his hands together. "Everyone is ready to leave, let's go."

"I will not be joining you Sora," said Yen Sid. "My place is here."

Sora was dumbstruck.

"But Master—"

"I am no longer your teacher, Master Sora," Yen Sid said firmly. "Your duty is to protect Ayumi and the others. Now go. Xehanort will be here—"

_BOOM!_

"No!" Yen Sid flew out of his chair and to the window. In the sky above, formations of black gummi ships were firing down upon the tower. "They are here early! Damn that Cauldishek! Run!"

Sora grabbed Ayumi and sped down the hall towards the garage. Before they got there there was a loud explosion from Yen Sid's office. Sora ran in to see the new Gummi ship, larger than the last one by far, but a similar design. She shoved Ayumi into the passenger bay where everone was waiting.

"The hell was that?" demanded Seifer.

"Seifer, I need you and Hayner on rear weapons, we are leaving now! Everyone strap in!" Sora gave his orders and ran to the cockpit.

Sora sat in the pilot's chair and started up the engines, shields, and weapon's system. He set the warp drives to the coordinates of Radiant Garden.

As soon as they flew out of the garage through the launch bay, Sora had to kick the engines into full gear. They were swarmed by Heartbourne fighters. The weapons system shot to life and Hayner and Seifer opened fire, while Sora evaded enemy ships and laser blasts.

Sora flew around to get a look at the tower and saw that the roof was gone, as was most of the office, but Yen Sid was there, surrounded by Heartbourne.

Suddenly, ten familiar Keyblade Riders appeared in front of him, and he had to avoid them as well. They shot all kinds of magic at the ship, and Sora knew that his shields were not magic proof. Sora weaved in between the smaller crafts and had to avoid the kamikaze that was Kigara. Sora was unsuccessful during one of Kigara's passes and was struck, hard. Sora almost lost control when the ship was suddenly battered by magic and lasers alike. Suddenly it all stopped, and Sora saw why. Floating on a piece of rubble in the midst of it all was Yen Sid, hands raised as fighters suddenly buckled and exploded from the sheer might of the sorcerer's magic. He then started blasting at the Elites, a look of pure rage on his face.

Sora turned the ship towards the sky and launched into the Lanes Between, fighters hot on his tail. Any blasts that his were absorbed by the shields.

"How's everyone doing back there?" he called to his passengers.

Ayumi had her arms over her head, as silent tears ran down her face. Vivi was straight up crying, and Ollette was trying to calm him down, though her terror was obvious as well. Rai and Fuu were staring into space wide eyed, trying to hide their fear. Mokona was rolling around on the floor, unable to keep a solid footing.

Sora looked back at the space before him and had to veer out of the way to avoid being shot at by the mother ship, which was about five one thousand yards off their port side. The mothership fired several rapid vollies of laser blasts at them, and Sora had to make a barrel roll to the right to avoid it. He opened fire as a formation of small fighters swarmed in from the front. He was able to take out most of them, and Hayner and Seifer took out some that passed him. Sora decided it was time to make their leave. He shot towards the mothership at maximum speed and avoided its fire long enough to ride along the side of the ship. As soon as he passed it completely he engaged the warp drive. The gummi ship glowed silver for three seconds before disappearing in an explosion of light.

Inside the mothership's bridge, a white gloved fist smashed the arm of the captain's chair. Xehanort stood from the chair and walked up to the view port, seething in rage.

"Prepare a shuttle," he growled. "Yen Sid will pay for his insolence, and Cauldishek will pay for his incompetence."

KHKHKHKH

Yen Sid stood on the ground, surrounded by the entirety of the Lucid Key Elite. Several of them, mostly Kajime, Krysnis, Gage, and Trix were panting heavily, having barely escaped Yen Sid's midair fury. Cauldishek was glaring at the wizard, a trickle of blood running down the side of his head.

"From what I was told," he said. "You were a pacifist now."

"When someone threatens my apprentice, or the stability of the worlds," replied Yen Sid, a blue aura surrounding him. "I have no choice but to do what is right."

Cauldishek gripped his keyblade tightly.

"So be it," he said. He rushed at Yen Sid quickly.

Yen Sid raised his hands and a giant crevice appeared in the ground in between him and Cauldishek. Cauldishek leapt up as pillars of rock attempted to block his way. He leapt high into the air and swung his keyblade, and meteors rained down from the space in front of him. A shield appeared around Yen Sid and protected him from the blasts. Feratu warped in from his side and attempted to behead him. Yen Sid held up his hand and the Keyblade hit an invisible force. He struggled against it, and Yen Sid did not even turn in his direction before pushing him away with incredible force. Kajime, Krysnis and Gage all attempted to get him from different angles simultaneously, but were repelled by an invisible force. Trix roared at him and fired blasts of green energy at him from her keyblade, but they too went ignored by the old wizard.

"What are you?" screamed Cauldishek, as he rushed Yen Sid from the front. A long staff appeared in Yen Sid's hand and blocked the Keyblade.

"I am a servant of the world," said the former Keyblade Master, and he unleashed a mighty roar as all the Elites were forced away by un unspeakably mighty aura.

"We must do this together!" shouted Cauldishek, as they all pointed their Keyblades at him. Yen Sid raised his staff and another shield appeared.

The tips of their keyblades started to glow and they all shot violet beams of energy at the old master. There was a massive explosion and Yen Sid was launched backwards through the front door of the tower. Yen Sid was lying in a pile of splintered wood and brick rubble. He stood up slowly and tried to get his bearings through the smoke filled room, when Kigara flew through the smoke cackling madly. He attempted to strike Yen Sid, and the sorcerer was unprepared for it. He closed his eyes, prepared for death, but it did not come.

A black gauntlet was gripping Kigara's keyblade, and the young wielder was horror struck, staring into the faceless helmet of Golbez.

"I come here for a visit and I find these interfering whelps at your door step?" said Golbez, throwing Kigara through the smoke. He waved his hand and the smoke cleared, revealing ten surprised faces.

"It is good to see you my friend," said Yen Sid, brushing off his robes. "I seem to be older than I thought."

"Yes. Let us celebrate this reunion with some old fashioned brutality, like the old days," said Golbez, crossing his arms in front of him.

"Indeed," said Yen Sid, standing beside Golbez, holding his staff at his side. "Let this be a fight to remember, when we are old men."

"When?"

"You are only as old as you feel, as they say."

"Indeed."

"Enough!" shouted Cauldishek. "We end this now!"

"No Cauldishek," said Xehanort, stepping up behind them. "If any of you take a step towards these two you will only be met with death. I will finish this myself. Take the fleet and go to Radiant Garden, as we planned. I want that world purged."

"Y-yes master," stammered Cauldishek. "Let's go! Our allies in Radiant Garden are waiting anyways."

The Elites all summoned their riders and flew into the sky.

Xehanort summoned his Keyblade. Golbez watched him warily. Yen Sid stood silently.

"This is the last time you will stand in my way," said Xehanort, beginning to glow with a violet aura.

"If I die here," said Yen Sid. "Sora's fury will fall swiftly."

"But will his rage blind him?" said Xehanort. "Or will it lead him to his death?"

"I have fought the boy," said Golbez. "He will be your downfall, I assure you."

"He has no right to bear the title of Keyblade Master!" growled Xehanort.

"Yet he has already wounded you or your efforts at least."

"I am invincible. No matter if he wields the X-blade or not, I cannot be beaten by a child such as him."

"You were defeated by Terra," said Yen Sid. "You were defeated by Riku. Sora's power and wisdom dwarfs both of them."

"I was old and weak then, and I was nothing but a heartless and a shell with no memory of my former self. Now I wield the power."

"You are weak!" shouted Yen Sid. "Your heart is weak! You know nothing other than rage and hatred! Sora has more strength of heart and the spirit worthy of the X-blade that you will never have!"

"SHUT UP!" roared Xehanort. "I AM THE ONLY ONE THAT IS WORTHY!"

"You are a disgrace!"

"I am a disgrace? You gave up your keyblade, your power! Why? Because you killed someone? You are a disgrace and a coward!"

"Silence this you—you….!"

"Enough!" said Golbez. "Let us finish this now!"

Xehanort smiled, relishing in Yen Sid's pain. He raised his Keyblade threateningly.

"Let's get started then."

(Reccomended Song: End of All Hope)

Golbez flew forward, lifting up large chunks of rock as his dark armor pulsed in purple lightning. Xehanort lifted one hand as a large black flame pillar rose up underneath the dark sorcerer, knocking Golbez high in the air. Yen Sid made a few wide sweeping motions around him as wind blew from both sides at Xehanort, lifting him up into the air. Xehanort swung his keyblade down, splitting the flame pillar apart and throwing the dark flames downward at Yen Sid. Golbez used his air time to line up his Genisis Rock attack and fire them down at Xehanort like a cannon.

"Perish!" Golbez shouted as he launched his new Genesis Cannon at Xehanort who was still floating in midair from Yen Sid's wind spell. Yen Sid lifted both of his hands up as a large earth wall rose to defend against Xehanort's dark flames. Xehanort moved his keyblade to block Golbez's attack, and cut through every rock that came his way. As each chunk fell under Xehanort, Golbez started to charge what looked like a dark orb in his hands. Xehanort swung his keyblade in a full circle as he landed down on the ground, and a glowing ring of darkness floated around him. Yen Sid made a pushing motion as the earth wall he lifted up started to move and crash down toward Xehanort. Xehanort slammed his keyblade down into the ground, splitting the earth wall that was headed toward him. Golbez vanished as he released the dark orb and reappeared next to Xehanort.

"No Escape!" He yelled as he backhanded Xehanort, launching him right into the dark orb. Xehanort grunted in pain as he was damaged slightly. Yen Sid then waved his hands in a violent manner as a large wave of flame and electricity rushed through toward Xehanort. Just as the wave approached, Xehanort broke free from the attack Golbez knocked him into and vanished. Yen Sid's attacks passed through the empty space harmlessly.

Yen Sid spun around and jumped back in time to avoid one of Xehanort's downward strikes. Xehanort rushed at him, grinning madly, but was tackled from the side by Golbez.

"We may be old, but we will not be defeated by scum like you!" he shouted throwing dark orbs with blinding speed. Xehanort raised his hand and they exploded harmlessly before they reached him.

"I am invincible!" Xehanort hissed. He bounded forward three steps and slammed his keyblade into the ground handle down. The floating island the tower was on seemed to split and enormous fissures opened up all over. Yen Sid stumbled from the tremors created, and had to use his staff to balance himself. Golbez floated into the air.

"You are a fool," he hissed with equal venom. He raised his hands the chunks of earth rose to circle him. He growled and the rocks broke into smaller pieces. Soon it was like Golbez was a planet and they stood in his rings. Golbez extended his arms and Xehanort was left dodging and slicing through boulders from every direction. Yen Sid added to the mix as each boulder of Golbez's suddenly caught fire, lighting up their battle bright enough to be seen as if it were another star in space. Xehanort slashed left and right as the meteors converged on him, until they engulfed him entirely. Golbez and Yen Sid both charged and launched a cataclysmic magic blast to try and finish Xehanort off, except as they launched their attack, Xehanort broke free and dispersed all of the previous attacks into various directions. Then a burst of slash beams fired out torward Golbez and Yen Sid, each emminating the blackest of Darkness. As each flew down with an intense pressure strong enough to force almost anything to collapse upon themselves, Yen Sid used all of his power to create a quick barrier against the attacks. Each magical force clashed against each other, pressure rising until the very ground started to crack. Xehanort smirked as each of his dark slashes increased in size and power every second while Yen Sid struggled. Golbez lifted his arms as he was about to try and help stabalize the barrier, but Yen Sid told him off.

"What? But you can't possibly take much more of this!" Golbez exclaimed. Yen Sid smiled and shook his head.

"Go. I will take care of the rest. I want you to watch over Sora in my place." The barrier started to weaken. Golbez knew that time was of the essence. Reluctantly he sighed, and finally turned his back to Yen Sid.

"You are a stubborn fool. Farewell." Golbez made his escape, Yen Sid blocking Xehanort's attempts to kill Golbez before he could get away. Xehanort laughed as Golbez vanished swiftly into the darkness of space.

"You are a fool indeed! You have just reduced your chances of survival from zero percent...to Zero PERCENT!" Xehanort slashed yet another wave of dark energy to support his current attack grinding against Yen Sid's barrier, overpowering the old Wizard. Yen Sid used what creativity still lived in his head to allow a section of his barrier to weaken, causing Xehanort's attack to travel and concentrate in that spot as he escaped the radius from the other side. The attacks finished their course and crashed into the ground, launching Yen Sid rapidly torward Xehanort. Yen Sid, beaten and bruised from the wear and tear of the battle charged up all of his remaining magical energy into his hands. From them, a large outline of a crescent moon formed and charged at Xehanort at a near-impassable speed.

"Lunar Arc, Final Phase Launch!" Yen Sid shouted as his attack slammed fast and true into Xehanort. Xehanort's face went from amusement to momentary terror as the attack struck him before he could block. Xehanort was sent crashing into an asteroid nearby, and was slightly stunned. Yen Sid landed down upon what little ground was left of his tower, when Xehanort recovered and promptly threw the asteroid down torward Yen Sid, using his keyblade to launch it. Yen Sid was far too exhausted to do little more than stand there as the attack came torward him. Xehanort laughed maniacally as the asteroid made contact with the land Yen Sid stood on as he launched a dark magic bomb to finish things.

From the distance Golbez saw a large explosion, and whispered to himself. "May we meet again in the afterlife, friend."

KHKHKHKHKH

**And so it begins….**


	11. Chapter 10: Radiant Garden Restored

**Yen Sid's fate has been sealed.**

**Xehanort is looking for blood.**

**Sora will fight.**

**Will he win?**

**Or will he never see her beautiful red hair and blue eyes again?**

**Kingdom Hearts**

**Shattered Unity**

**Chapter 10**

**Radiant Garden Restored**

Sora slammed his fist on the control panel of the gummi ship. They had arrived at Radiant Garden a few seconds ago, and were orbiting the small world lazily.

Sora fell back into his seat and let out a long breath of relief. He knew that his master was most likely dead, which was certain. He was, however, content in the fact that his mission was, as of now, a success. He stood and walked into the passenger bay where everyone as sitting with their hands gripping the leather seats and breathing heavily. They looked at him silently.

"We made it," he said, smiling slightly. Everyone relaxed at the good news. "I'll get us down on solid ground in a few minutes.

"What happened to Master?" asked Vivi worriedly. Sora glanced at him. Sora looked at the others and they either looked away or suddenly looked really sad. Vivi howerver only looked at Sora.

"He," Sora sighed. "He is fighting right now Vivi. He's fighting to give us a chance to save the world."

Vivi didn't look away, unsatisfied with that answer. Sora smiled at the little mage and kneeled down in front of him.

"Master will be fine," he said. "You'll see."

"Yeah," grinned Hayner tossing them a smile and a thumbs up. "Yen Sid is scary strong!"

"And next time we see him, so will we!" said Pence.

"Heck yeah!" grinned Rai. "We'll show those freaks whose bos, y'know?"

"How about you all shut the hell up and face the facts!" shouted Seifer. "The old man is dead and there is nothing we can do about it!"

"SEIFER!" Shouted Hayner. Sora said nothing and nodded in agreement with Seifer before returning to the cockpit. Everyone shot dirty looks at Seifer except for Vivi who was just staring into space

Ayumi had been silent the entire time, just watching everything that had just transpired. She looked at Ollette and decided to ask a question.

"So, I pretty much know what's going on now," she said quietly. "But… what happens next? What about those freaks with the key-swords and all that?"

"Well," said Ollette. "It's Sora's job to protect all of us, you especially. He mentioned earlier that we need to go to another world so we can get some friends of his to back us up."

"But why me?"

"I'm not entirely sure, but Sora knows what he's doing. Just do as he says and everything will work out fine."

Ayumi sighed and wiped her eyes to prevent tears from revealing themselves. She was twelve, scared, and apparently hunted by an army of monsters. There was a loud BANG as the ship hit the ground. They got up and went through the ships hallway, past the quarters and bathroom to the now open doors and exited to the bustling metropolis that was Radiant Garden.

_A castle surrounded by large buildings and a circular waterfall fade into existence with the shimmering words Radiant Garden below it._

KHKHKHKH

"_Nobody knoooows the trouble I've seeeen! _A'hyuk!" wailed a deep voice from the brig on Xehanort's mothership. "_Nobody knooooows my sorroooow!"_

"Will you shut up?" shouted Donald over Goofy's singing from n their cell. "You've been singing that stupid song for weeks!"

The brig was a long steel hallway consisting of many cells that were shut with three inch thick steel doors that had no locks and were opened via passcode.

"Well what other good jail songs are there?" asked the anthro dog scratching his head. Donald thought about it for a few seconds before giggling to himself.

"_Breakin' rocks in the hot sun!_" he sang. Goofy a'hyuked and joined in. "_I fought the law and the law won! I fought the law and the law won! I needed money cause I had none! I fought the law and the law won! I fought the law and the law won!_"

"I fought the law!" shouted a voice before a familiar silver and black Keyblade slammed down in between them. Xehanort's face appeared inches from Donald's. "And the law won!"

The two anthros shouted in fear before backing up against the wall, sweating bullets. Xehanort walked out of their cell cackling madly while Cauldishek and Kigara stood outside of it smirking.

Xehanort walked down the hallway lined with cells until he reached the one he wanted. Cauldishek placed his hand on a panel by the door and a keypad appeared. He punched in a few numbers and the door opened a rush of cold air blasting out to meet them. Xehanort walked inside and chained to the wall, frozen solid was King Mickey Mouse.

Xehanort approached the frozen King and grinned maliciously. He reached into his coat and pulled out Yen Sid's tattered hat.

"Your master dared to stand against me," he hissed. "Now you see what has happened? He is dead, and soon your hero will be too. The Princess of Soul and the X-blade will finally be in my grasp!"

He threw the hat on the ground and stormed out. He then turned his attention to the cell across from it. He had Cauldishek open it and inside, lying on the small bed facing the wall as she had for the most part of two months was Kairi.

"Master Yen Sid is dead," said the old keyblader from the doorway. "The boy ran like a coward to the world where you were born."

Kairi shot up and spun to look at him, shock on her face.

"You don't remember it do you?" he said with a wicked smile.

She shook her head in the negative.

"Well I remember it quite well," he said, walking inside and standing before her. "When I was trapped in a younger form and with no memories I was apprenticed under your uncle, Ansem the Wise. Then when I became a Heartless and Nobody, I trapped him in the realm of Darkness and destroyed everything."

Her eyes widened in horror at his tale.

"And your dear old grandma was powerless to stop me when I killed her and sent you to Destiny Islands to find the wielder of the Keyblade of Light!"

"SHUT UP!" she screamed, her first words in two months. "JUST STOP IT!"

"Funny," he chuckled. "Sounds just like your grandmother did when I tore her heart out."

She then broke down crying uncontrollably, and he left the room smirking.

"We will be at Radiant Garden soon," he called behind him. "No doubt Sora can't wait to see you again."

Cauldishek was there waiting for him.

"Our allies have gathered in Radiant Garden sir," he said. "They are watching the movements of the Committee from afar, but the clown is in the city doing magic tricks and singing like a deranged fool."

"What of the Legendary Three?" asked Xehanort as they entered a lift to the bridge.

"They are prepared."

"Good. Make sure the clown doesn't get out of hand."

KHKHKHKH

"OOOOOOOHHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!"

"AAAAAHHHH!" Vivi screamed as he ran away from the grinning face that had just appeared before him.

The small boy ran behind Sora and was peeking out from behind his legs.

Sora glared at the clown that had approached them out of nowhere and patted Vivi's hat.

"It's not nice to scare kids you know," he said, motioning for the others to follow them out of the alley they were in. They had landed in a vacant lot, hoping to avoid any unnecessary attention in case the Elites were watching.

The clown kept Sora's pace as he followed them out.

"But it's fun!" the clown said in a high pitched voice, but it changed to a growl with his next statement. "Almost as fun as blowing them up!"

Vivi whimpered and grabbed Sora's coat. Sora stopped and glared at the clown.

The boys all glared at the clown's sick "joke" and the girls were speechless.

"Who do you think you are?" he shouted. The clown laughed and took a deep bow.

"Why I am the great and powerful Kefka! Kefka Palazzo!"

Kefka was a character indeed. Kefka wore an outfit composed of primarily red and yellow fabrics, a mismatched jumble of stripes and polka-dots. He wore a red and white striped ruffle around his neck and a red cloak with a yellow and red inner-lining. He had gold hair with feathers and beads in it and he wore white face paint with purple lining his mouth.

"Hey freak!" said Seifer, grabbing Kefkas ruffles and throttling him, Kefka just giggling manically. "How about you get out of here before I show you the way to a dumpster?"

Kefka pushed him off and took a dramatic pose.

"Oh such cruel children! This entire world is just full of cruelty and malice! I LOVE IT! OHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!"

Kefka cackled and he grabbed Sora and Siefer by their shirts and threw them out of the alley with amazing force.

"Come with me and we will be free to roll in cruelty!" he shouted, skipping out of the alleyway and down the road.

"Get him!" shouted Seifer. The group of kids gave chase. They followed him until they reached the market that Sora knew well, but he realized how much bigger it had gotten. The small heartless infested town was gone and had been replaced with a bustling metropolis. Skyscrapers could be seen in ther distance and there were more people hurrying through than the year before. They were caught in the size of the city and didn't notice until Sora had bumped right into Kefka. The clown was unfazed and started to sing to them.

"_It's a cruel cruel world all you little boys and girls,"_ he sang, circling the group maliciously. _"And some mean nasty people want to have you for their supper!"_

Siefer tried to swing a punch at Kefka but the clown vanished in a puff of smoke. He reappeared on top of the stairway leading to Scrooge's ice cream shop. They all ran after him quickly, and he started running away when they got close.

"_But if you follow me you can all be free!" _he sang, throwing confetti at them. _"Free! You can all be free as a bird on a big TV if you dream, if you dream, if you dream my DREAM!"_

Suddenly, the ground in front of them exploded, and everyone was thrown back, including some civilians, but Sora, Seifer and Hayner held their ground.

Kefka stood on top of the ice cream shop cackling madly. Sora leapt up into the air to meet him. When he landed Kefka clapped his hands giddily. He opened his hands and fire balls began charging in each one. He sang again.

"_It's a cruel cruel world full of nasty boys and girls, selfish mean nasty people," _he started throwing the fire spells, and Sora swatted them away with his hands, walking towards the clown cautiously. _"Nasty nasty nasty nasty!"_

Sora tried to punch Kefka, not wanting to use his weapons unless necessary. Kefka dodged each attack easily, still singing.

"_But there's a way you can make your day, you can laugh you can smile, you can come and STAY AWHILE!"_

He dodged a punch and countered, shoving a fireball in Sora's face. Sora fell back and summoned Ultima, brandishing it at Kefka.

Sora and Kefka entered a dance of swipes and dodges at each other.

"_You can dream my dream you can have it all with me! You can dream my dream!"_

Sora kicked him in the stomach.

"_You can dream my DREAM!"_

Sora struck him with Ultima and threw him ten feet away, where he recovered and was about to charge a huge magical attack when he felt cold steel at his throat.

"You can… dream… my dream," he hissed, looking up at the face of none other than Leon, leader of the Radiant Garden Restoration committee.

"What's going on here? Was that you again Palazzo?" he growled.

"Who me?" chuckled Kefka. "It was just a little 4th of July fireworks!"

"It's November."

Kefka didn't say anything and disappeared in a puff of smoke. Leon shouldered his gunblade and sighed. He looked at Sora and nodded.

"If we try to go after him all that will happen is a few people will die and he will leave the world. As long as we leave him be he doesn't harm anything, he just dances for munny. Until Cid and Merlin can find a way to trap him we can't touch him."

Sora nodded and grinned.

"Good to see you again Leon," he said. Leon smiled slightly and shook his head.

"It's Squall," he said. "Squall Leonheart."

"So you took your old name back?"

"Yeah, but tell me what's been going on with you? Your eye?"

Leon, or Squall as he was now known, motioned to Sora's eye patch. Sora nodded.

"Go find the others. I need to make an announcement."

Squall raised an eyebrow at him.

"Where are the others?" he asked. Sora sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"They've been captured by a bunch of dark Keyblade wielders."

"WHAT?" shouted Squall, almost dropping his gunblade.

"There are eleven of them, one of them is four times as powerful as I am and they have an army of monsters called Heartbourne. They are on their way here now!"

"What about those kids?" asked squall pointing at the kids watching them from the ground. The two of them hopped off the roof and landed easily on the ground below.

"I need you to give them somewhere to stay until I can lead the bad guys away from here."

"Alright, I'll gather the others. We have a few new members added to our ranks by the way, so hopefully they can help. How long do you think we have?"

"We have until this evening I think, so about four hours."

"Okay, we'll meet in an hour."

Sora looked at the others, and they all had slightly sad faces (Seifer just looked angry)

"Whats wrong?" he asked.

Ayumi sniffled and wiped her eye, and Mokona climbed onto her shoulder to nuzzle her but ended up in a soft hug.

Rai and Pence were both scratching the back of their heads. Ollette was rubbing Ayumi's back though she looked like she needed to be comforted as well. Hayner was facing a different direction. Fuu was a statue as usual. Vivi stared at Sora for a few seconds before just falling back onto his rear end and began to cry.

"I-I-I'm scaaared!" he wailed. "I'm hungry! I want to go hooooome! I want my grandpaaaa!"

Sora sighed and picked up Vivi and held him to his shoulder as he cried. He then motioned for the others to follow him.

They walked into the residential area known as the borough and walked until they reached Merlin's house. When they got there Sora opened the door without knocking and walked inside. The others followed and they entered the cozy cottage belonging to Merlin the Wizard.

"Who is it, barging into my home at this time of day?" shouted the old wizard, approaching them from his table. He walked up to Sora and got in his face. "Who are all these ruffians and who is making such a wailing racket? I'd have half a mind- Oh! Its you!"

"Hey Merlin," said the tired Keyblade Master. "Couldn't trouble you to get these guys something to eat while we wait for Squall and the others?"

"Sora my boy, it would be my honor! Eh, why is this one crying?"

Sora set Vivi on Merlin's bed and Vivi calmed down. Sora then went to sit at Merlin's table.

"Yen Sid might be dead," he said. The kid's all flinched at his blunt statement. "Kairi, Riku, Mickey, Donald and Goofy all captured."

Merlin's eyes widened and his jaw dropped.

"When?" he asked quietly, sitting next to Sora.

"They were captured two months ago. Yen Sid died this morning. I came here for some back up."

"Who did it?"

"I'll tell you when everyone gets here."

Merlin nodded and pulled out his wand. With a quick flourish and a puff of smoke there was a platter of sandwiches and a pitcher of juice there for the kids to eat. Despite the trauma, they all dug in ravenously, Sora nibbling at his sandwich, lost in thought. Ollette brought one to Vivi and a glass of juice.

Merlin's house was now less cluttered, Cid's computer replaced with a book shelf.

"So what's been going on since I left?" he asked Merlin.

"Well, rebuilding of the city is complete. Cid was elected mayor because he directed all of the restoration and anti-heartless himself. We also took in all the refugees we could find and started a large defense force. Squall calls it SeeD, I'll be a monkeys uncle if I ever find out what it stands for. After we got your reports of a Nobody fleet last year we also installed anti air defenses all over the castle and city. Speaking of, how did you get down here without alerting security?"

"I flew in under the radar."

"Ahh of course. We should let Cid know about the blind spot you used then. Aerith and I also started a learning academy, so you can call me Headmaster Merlin thank you very much!"

"Is there a shelter in case of emergency?"

"Under the Castle, Ansem's old lab has been built to act as a safe haven for the people of the city."

"Good. This will be easier than I thought."

"Please," came the voice of a certain hyper ninja. "A great ninja like me needs something of a challenge!"

"Yuffie!" shouted Sora, running to the door and giving the girl a hug.

"Hey Sora, what's with the eye patch? Tryin' to look manly for Kairi."

Sora sighed and let her and the small crowd behind her inside. He was met with the faces of Squall, Aerith, Cloud, Tifa, Cid, a man in blue armor and a horned helmet and a red haired man in a crimson overcoat with a novel in his hand. Aerith, Tifa and Cid immediately swarmed Sora with hugs, slaps on the back, demanding what happened and where everyone was. Ayumi and the Twilight Town kids all got up and took seats on or around Merlin's bed.

"Calm down!" called Squall over the noise they were making. "Sora has something to tell us!"

Everyone calmed down and Sora took a deep breath.

"Thank you for coming," he said. "I have an announcement to make. Xehanort has returned."

He was met with cries of shock and confusion.

"He has not returned as a Heartless, Nobody or the apprentice of Ansem the Wise. He has taken his true form, that of a fallen Keyblade Master. He and his ten followers, also wielders of varying strength and their army of dark monsters have captured my friends and King Mickey, and may have killed Master Yen Sid!"

He was met with more cries and shouts.

"I come here today asking for your aid! I need your help to stop them and to save the worlds!"

"But eleven keybladers?" demanded Cid. "How are we gonna fight that?"

"With this!" Sora summoned the X-blade. "As long as I have this, they cannot defeat us!"

"What is it?" asked Cloud, stepping forward. "A keyblade?"

"No, the _kye-_blade. It is more powerful than any Keyblade and has the potential of rivaling the powers of dark and light inside Kingdom Hearts itself. I stole it from them two months ago, and since then I have been training nonstop to combat these enemies."

"So what can we do?" asked Tifa.

"Mobilize SeeD!" said Sora. "And prepare yourselves on the front lines, because they are coming here."

"So," said the red haired man, snapping his novel closed from his position behind Sora. "You are the hero of this tale?"

"Huh?" Sora took on his trademarked "confused face" and looked at the newcomer.

"You are a mere child! You cannot possibly be the fabled wielder of the Keyblade!"

"Genesis!" said Squall, stepping forward and glaring at the red head. "Enough! Sora is more capable than you will ever know. He has saved countless lives, ever since he was merely fourteen years old."

"So I should take your word Leonheart?" countered Genesis. "You who fled like a coward at the first sign of Heartless when our orphanage was destroyed?"

"Shut up!"

"Remember poor young Rinoa's face as her heart was ripped out of her chest? She was only fifteen! And you ran!"

Squall tried to advance on him but Aerith blocked his path.

"Stop it!" she cried.

"I stayed and I fought!" shouted Genesis. "I should be the one protecting the world, not some one-eyed brat!"

"I kinda like this guy," whispered Seifer to Rai and Fuu. "Someone needs to teach scar-face some manners."

Genesis was silenced as he felt multiple blades point at his throat, the X-blade, Buster sword, and the blue knight's blade all directed at him.

"The darkness clouds your hearts," said the knight, looking in between Squall and Genesis. "You should both be more wary of how it affects your emotions."

Everyone settled down and put away their weapons.

"Who are you?" Sora asked the blue knight.

"I… am a warrior of light," he responded.

"I meant your name."

"I am a warrior of light."

"No your name!"

"I am a warrior of light."

"Not your class! Your name!"

"Oh!"

"….Well?"

"I am a warrior of light!"

"Sora," mumbled Tifa. He looked at her and she swirled her finger next to her head indicating she didn't think this Warrior of Light was quite right in the head. Sora looked worriedly at the Warrior of Light and took a few steps away from him before continuing.

"Anyway," he said. "We need to be prepared for the coming invasion."

"So what," said Cid, chewing on his piece of straw as usual. "All they want is that there X-blade?"

"Unfortunately it's never that simple. Ayumi, come here."

Ayumi, holding Mokona in her arms approached and stood in front of Sora. He put his hands on her shoulders. Sora then went on to tell every one of the Princess of Soul and how she was a counterbalance to the X-blade's power.

"So while keeping her safe," he concluded. "I must help her unlock her power so we can defeat Xehanort once and for all."

"Well then," said Merlin. "After mobilization and the fight begins, what happens next?"

Sora sighed deeply.

"I don't want to ask this of you," said Sora. "But I need you to distract them while I get Ayumi off world."

"Hey!" said Seifer, overly loud as usual. "What about us?"

The other kids looked at Sora expectantly.

"I need you guys to stay here. Its honestly a lot more safe then Twilight Town."

"But remember what Master Yen Sid said?" said Hayner, hopping off the bed. "We're your support crew! We gotta stick together!"

Sora sighed and looked at them sadly.

He felt a tugging at his jacket.

"I wanna learn magic and save the world so I can see my grandpa again!" said the high pitched voice of Vivi.

"Sora," said Merlin, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder. "I think it's for the best."

Sora nodded and looked in between them.

"Alright then, I need a team," he said. "I need some battlefield support, that'll be Ayumi, Vivi, and Seifer."

"Battle what?" cried Ayumi.

"I'll be teaching you and Vivi magic."

"Magic?"

Sora pointed at the staff she had attached to her back.

"Oh," she said, looking away.

"Let's see… Engineers! Hayner, Rai and Fuu! You guys will make sure the ship remains in top condition."

Hayner pounded his fist against his chest and grinned in confirmation. Rai smiled and Fuu was a statue as usual.

"And ship cooks, Ollette and Pence!"

"Yay!" cried Ollette, running over and giving him a hug. Pence rubbed his belly at the thought of the cuisine he could learn on other worlds.

"Problem is, my ship isn't meant for long distance travel for nine people…"

"Then you'll take my ship," said Cid. He pulled out a disk from inside his pocket and a hologram appeared on it of a large triangular ship. "It's meant as a cargo ship, has full crew quarters and all the luxuries, armed to the teeth and can take as much punishment as she can dish out, and that's a hell of a lot. You think the Highwind lv8 was tough, this som'bitch will make the guy who designed the Nobody juggernaut cry like he just got his heart back and had it stabbed five minutes later!"

"How soon will it fly?"

"Today was the maiden voyage to explore some new worlds and territories. Loading up finished this morning"

"How big of a crew does it need?"

"Pilot, navigation, rear weapons and an engineering crew of two people minimum."

"Good. We have less than two hours, let's move out!"

Everyone piled out of the building and ran in different directions. The women to evacuate the city to the castle, Squall and Warrior of Light to mobilize defenses, Cid to the Gummi Hangar and Genesis to keep a look out.

"Hey Sora," said Cloud, walking up to the boy.

"Hey Cloud," said Sora.

"I just wanted to tell you… don't let your feelings of mourning and hatred consume you."

"What do you mean?"

"You've changed. Don't keep it that way."

"How have I changed?"

"You are much more serious in the way you speak and act. You are trying to act more mature than you are. Your light is being clouded. Just watch out kid."

And with that Cloud left. Sora sighed and looked at the Twilight Town kids.

"Let's get to the hangar."

KHKHKHKH

(Recommended back ground music: Kingdom Hearts – Destati by Premientor on )

Three figures stood atop the spires of Villain's Vale, watching the city as evacuations began. Anti-air guns began rising from in between buildings and sirens blared. Each had a black wound of some sort above the left side of their chests, and they all bore an eerily red glow to their eyes.

"Someone has shed light on our dark machinations," said the one with long silver hair and the one extended wing, a massively long katana at his waist.

_Sephiroth_

"Soon they will be nothing but a memory in the chaos that shall rain down upon them," said the armored one with a helmet with horns as wide as a man's arm span and a purple cloak., a giant weapon hidden underneath.

_Garland_

"Their honor will be stripped away and judgment will rain down upon them, the verdict… guilty," said the one in silver armor with a helmet with ram horns and two strange swords held to his sides.

_Gabranth_

"_As we are the Legendary Three," they spoke in their brainwashed unison. "Three fallen Generals. Three disgraced heroes. As our Master Xehanort wills it, we will follow without question."_

**And then, with the passing of the breeze, they were gone**.


	12. Chapter 11: Battle with the Legendary 3

**Author's Note:**

**Merry Christmas, Hanukkah, Yule, or whatever Kingdom Hearts fans usually celebrate!**

**As a Christmas present to our readers, we are unleashing our most diverse battle yet, combining elements of Dissidia: Final Fantasy with our Kingdom Hearts story, only a few days after the release of the last chapter. **

**You may be wondering: **

"**Are these chapters written beforehand, much of the story already prewritten in order to release the story quicker to the readers?"**

**The answer is:**

**No. We just really like writing, so we do it a lot.**

**On with the story~**

**Kingdom Hearts**

**Shattered Unity**

**Chapter 11**

**Battle of the Legendary Three**

**(There is only one Reccommended song for the chapter: E. Nomine- Das Tier in Mir)**

As the group entered the hangar of the castle, they found Cid waiting for them in front of the most magnificent ship they had ever seen.

"Behold the _Shera_… wait who the hell're you?" Cid shouted at an armored man walking out from behind the ship. The man turned his head and spoke.

"You shall be judged. Prepare for your sentence!" He replied. He summoned two blades, one in each hand. He ran forward with a wide swing at Ayumi. She shrieked and closed her eyes in anticipation for the hit. Sora tried to summon his keyblade to guard her, but Cid jumped in front of her, spear drawn and a cigarette blazing in between his lips.

"You kids hurry and get to the ship," Cid said with a smirk on his face as he remained in a blade-lock against the armored man. Sora nodded and waved his hand.

"Come on everyone! They continued running past Cid and onward to the Highwind. The armored man turned and attempted to strike one of the kids as they ran, breaking the lock. Cid jumped above and cut him off, glaring at his opponent.

"Where are you going? You're fightin' me." Cid said as he went in for a thrust.

KHKHKHKHKH

Seifer was the first into the area with Cid's ship.

"Let's hurry up and get on!" He shouted. Suddenly the ceiling cracked and the room shook. Everyone looked up as the roof caved in, with the Warrior of Light crashing down right through the ship. Ayumi looked at the stylish hole in the roof of the ship, and her face showed pure disappointment. Warrior of Light stood up and jumped through the hole through the ship as the Shera collapsed and fell apart to the ground. Sora fell to his knees at the sudden loss of their only ticket out of the crisis. As Warrior of Light flew upward to the now roofless top of the hangar, a man in heavy armor and purple cape flew above him, smacking him back down once more with his massive weapon. Warior of Light crashed back down right before Sora, beaten and bruised.

"You cannot defeat me! For I am Garland, of the Legendary Three!" The heavily armored man roared as he landed on the ground. Sora drew Ultima Weapon as he started to run at Garland. Warrior of Light stood and blocked Sora from going on.

"Leave this one to me…" he said, his voice shaking and blood running down his face. Sora shook his head as he knew that Warrior of Light was only going to get himself killed.

"Dammit, there's no time for this! You're going to die here if I don't help!" Sora yelled as he continued to force his way into battle. Warrior of Light smiled and laughed.

"Sora, I appreciate the thought, but this man is not one you can take on just yet." Sora was stunned and confused at weather Warrior of Light was tougher than he looked or just stupid. Garland gave no further reprise for the heroes and he began moving.

"I will win this battle Sora," Warrior of Light said as he ran forward to fight Garland. Sora looked at him, believing for a second that he could actually win.

"Because I….am a WARRIOR….of LIGHT!" he shouted and clashed blades with Garland. Sora's opinion of him instantly fell to a level beyond explanation.

Ayumi stood up and started to run away from the battle.

"Where are you going?" Hayner yelled at her.

"He's fighting to buy us time! Let's not waste it!" She yelled back. Everyone nodded and followed suit. Sora realized that if he wasn't there to protect the kids, nobody would. He followed, turning to Warrior of Light as he left.

"Don't you dare lose!" he said as he dashed off.

When they stepped out of the hangar they were met with a frightening sight. A legion of Heartbourne, standing on the castle, and the various buildings surrounding it, staring down at them with their empty yellow eyes. Sora summoned the X-blade and stood in front of the group, holding it defensively.

"W-what are they," asked Hayner quietly.

"Heartbourne," said Sora. "They are like Heartless, but they are technically still human, and have fake keyblades. Relatively weak, but I'm not sure if I can take on this many."

"Well then," said Seifer, pulling his custom struggle bat. "Let's see who can get more of them."

Sora nodded, knowing that he'd need all the extra help he can get. He turned to everyone else and had a more commanding look in his eye.

"Any one of you who can fight in some way, do your best to stay alive. Don't be a hero, just focus on the enemy in front of you!" Sora said. He knew Pence, Olette, and Ayumi had no means of fighting, so he was sure he would have to spend his time protecting them.

The rest of the gang on the other hand was slightly inexperienced in battle, so he had to make teams for them. As Sora was about to point to Seifer, Hayner stepped forward.

"I'll be a team captain!" he said, as though he had just read Sora's mind, although incorrect if it was so. Sora smiled and looked at the others. Raijin and Fujin were bound to Seifer, so Vivi was the only one left for Hayner's squad.

"Vivi, you're with Hayner. Just remember what Master taught you." Vivi jumped up and down happily, and Seifer smirked as he turned to wreak so havoc.

"Twilight Town Disciplinary Committee! We have a rather large number of delinquents in need of punishment. Let's go do our job!" He ran off with Rai and Fuu in pursuit.

Hayner and Vivi then took off in the opposite direction. Sora waved his hand and his group moved out torward the first place he could think of, Merlin's house.

KHKHKHKHKHKHKH

Cid was stunned at the destruction of the Shera, and the armored man used the opportunity to strike. Cid caught a glimpse just in time though, and managed to jump back. His cigarette was cleaved in half as he dodged the attack.

"Damn boy, you know how to wreck the few pleasures a middle-aged man like me has left."

Cid spat on the ground as he continued to parry and dodge Gabranth's relentless attacks.

The armored man said nothing as he continued his slashes, showing no signs of fatigue.

Cid jumped after blocking one of his opponent's attacks, and dove downward to try and impale the intruder. The man jumped back as Cid landed on the floor, and stumbled as the ground beneath him shook. Cid stood up, pulling another smoke from his carton and lit it. He looked at his enemy as he took a long drag and whipped out a stick of dynamite and lit it.

"If you're gonna barge in and get yer ass killed by me, you might as well have the decency to tell me who the hell you think you are." Cid glared at the man with contempt.

The enemy stood up and shook his head, recovering from the slight shock.

"What difference does it make for the cow to know the name of the butcher? All that matters is that I will be the one to pass judgments upon you!" he roared as he ran forward. Cid stuck his lance into the floor and lept up, his enemy completely missing his attack. He smirked as he threw the bomb downward and exploded on the apparent judge.

The blast sent Cid upward, and he spun the lance around as though he were going to drill his way through the armored man. Just as he flew downward, his lance hit something. Cid was confused as he thought to himself "I couldn't have hit the ground already...".

When the smoke had cleared just enough for Cid to see what happened, he saw his opponent blocking and holding him in place with one of his swords. Cid jumped off and landed on the floor behind the man, breathing a bit heavier.

"Just what the hell are you?" he asked as he tried to catch his breath. The man turned to him, and the wall next to them exploded open. They both quickly looked to see what it was, when a clown came prancing in.

"Oooooohhh Gabraaaaannth~" the clown danced his way up to the armored man. Gabranth tried to swing his blades at the clown, as it appeared even his presence angered him.

"WHAT do you want Kefka?" Gabranth shouted at the clown. He was highly irritated at the mere sight of Kefka crashing in. Cid looked on in amazement, as well as confusion.

Gabranth continued swinging at Kefka, infuriated. Kefka dodged each attack effortlessly, taunting the judge as he leapt from side to side.

"Missed me, Missed me again!" He laughed with a hint of insanity in his voice. Gabranth finally stopped attacking and his swords vanished. Kefka continued laughing as he got right in Gabranth's face.

"You owe me," He said.

"For...?" Gabranth calmly answered back, stopping himself from attacking.

"You didn't buy me a REESE'S PEANUT BUTTER CUP ON THE WAY HERE!" Kefka shrieked. Gabranth roared and tried to punch Kefka square in the face, only for Kefka to evade once more.

Cid decided now was as good a time as any to book it. He got up and took off while the two continued their squabble.

"You interupted my battle to bring up something as trivial as THAT?" Gabranth was beyond angry as he summoned his blades and swung with more ferocity than before. Kefka continued to dodge just when it seemed like he would get hit, much to Gabranth's anger.

"Can't touch this, na na na na na" Kefka sang as he continued to shorten Gabranth's fuse.

"Whoops, looks like your opponent ran away." He continued.

Gabranth turned to find Cid gone, and nowhere in sight. He snapped.

"KEEEEEFKAAAAA!"

KHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKH

Hayner was striking down heartbourne here and there, but even after slight modification his struggle bat could only do so much. Most of their fighting force was coming from

Vivi, who had improved a lot since he'd been studying at the tower. Vivi was rather trigger-happy with his spells, sending large flame explosions left and right. It was almost like he was excited about getting some real action in. Just as Hayner finished taking down a heartbourne, he saw a black feather fall from the sky. He and Vivi looked up to see a man with long silver hair and an excessively long katana in his left hand.

That man's dark black wing flapped as he landed down gracefully before the two.

"Such weaklings...are not worth my time." he said cooly. Hayner got angry at the taunt

and ran torwards the man, Vivi charged up a thunder spell for support.

"You'll regret looking down on me!" Hayner shouted as he leapt up for a jumping strike.

The man waved his sword almost instantaneously and sent both Hayner and Vivi flying back with a gust of wind.

"If it's despair you want..." the man lifted his katana and went into a stance. "Then I shall provide." He said as he dashed to kill.

Hayner landed on the ground and looked up to see the man rushing towards him at insane speeds.

"This is it..." he thought to himself. "I'm gonna die..." Hayner started to panic.

Suddenly the sound of a gun clicked and blades clashing rang in his ears. Squall had stepped in to save him. Hayner looked up with hope as Squall stood, protecting him, the blades clashing loudly against eachother.

"Kid...go now, while I have his attention!" he yelled. Hayner didn't have to be told twice. He got up and ran to Vivi, helping him up as the two escaped into the distance.

Squall turned his focus back to his enemy.

"I didn't think I'd see you again...Sephiroth." He glared into Sephiroth's eyes and broke the clash. Sephiroth chuckled to himself as he swung his masamune once, producing several blade beams that flew torward Squall. Quickly, Squall spun around as red orbs formed around him and exploded when the blade beams approached. The moment seemed to last for minutes even though it was barely 10 seconds. Squall used the explosion to quickly rush at Sephiroth, his gunblade shining red as it tore through the air.

Sephiroth lifted his katana above his head and a quick magic barrier rose between the two. Squall roared as he clashed with Sephiroth's guard. Sparks flew as though his gunblade was a saw trying to cut its way through steel. Sephiroth made another surprise maneuver and jumped just as he took down his guard, sending Squall dashing past him.

Sephiroth smirked as he flipped his katana around and lifted his hand. Squall looked up to find black clouds swirling down upon Spehiroth's arm, until they formed a black orb in the palm of his hand.

His eyes widened as thunder cracked through the sky and a ball of flame slowly came down.

He raised his gunblade and it shone with a bright light, a bright blue beam extending from it until it became long enough to touch space.

Sephiroth laughed as he brought his meteor attack down. Squall was using all of his strength to counter it.

"Perish!" Sephiroth yelled as the meteor slammed against Squall's attack.

"How do you like this?" Squall shouted as his blasting zone attack clashed with

Sephiroth's meteor.

The two attacks collided and exploded with a brilliant flash of power. For a moment, a bright light flashed and temporarily blinded Squall. When he regained his vision,

Sephiroth was already gone.

KHKHKHKHKHKHKHKH

Sora had to go for speed over power, and was fighting using Ultima Weapon and Star Seeker. As he moved the group along through the city, heartbourne came running at him left and right. He would cut one down, then another took its place.

"It's like it never ends!" Ayumi exclaimed. A heartbourne came from behind her and she jumped out of the way. Sora was getting slightly frustrated when a familiar old wizard came bursting on the scene. A large windstorm blew and swept all enemies in their immediate area away.

"Merlin!" Sora yelled, happy to see some reinforcement.

"Glad I made it in time." Merlin replied.

Ayumi, Pence, and Olette were still huddled together, trying to keep each other from being hit.

"Can you take these three to your house? It's probably much safer there." Sora asked as a heartbourne crept up behind him. He spun around and slashed at it once, and the heartbourne vanished into darkness.

"Sure, can you handle yourself from here then?" Merlin replied. A heartbourne came from behind him as well, and with a flick of his wand it was struck by lightning. Sora nodded and patted Ayumi's shoulder.

"I'll see you soon, okay?" He smiled, giving her some confidence in him. She nodded and smiled.

"Don't keep us waiting!" Pence and Olette said as Merlin vanished with the group.

Sora turned his attention back to the mass of enemies before him. He ran forward cleaving heartbourne left and right, his eyes filled with determination. As he cut one he thought to himself,

"This is for Riku!", then it was for Goofy, Donald, Mickey, Master Yen Sid, and finally...

Sora shouted out as he slammed his keyblades into the ground, a massive magical explosion

came forth and eliminated all heartbourne in the immediate area.

"That was for Kairi!"

"Sora!" a familiar voice rang out. He turned to look for that voice. The one that sounded so beautiful to him. Atop a skyscraper he saw Kairi, with Kamui, Krysnis, and Trix behind her.

"Kairi!" Sora ran to the skyscraper to rescue her, the chance he'd been waiting for was now upon him.

"How touching..." Kamui spoke with a hint of sadistic attitude in her voice. Sora grit his teeth as he quickly summoned the X-blade and ran up the side of the building.

"Give me my friends back!" Sora shouted as he flew up at top speed. Kamui smiled as she waved her hand, and Trix and Krysnis flew forward to block his way.

"Move dammit!" Sora tried to rush his way through but was blocked by the elites, who were forcing him downward into the ground. With a mighty roar he took on his Twilight Edge Form, his body taking on an aura of resounding light and darkness. The X-blade began to glow a bright golden color, and the Elites were struggling against him. With one great shout he forced his way through their block and ran to where Kamui was waiting on the roof with Kairi in her grip.

Trix and Krysnis were upon him again and they began a furious dance of strikes and blocks, Sora immediately showcasing his improvement by overpowering them quite easily. They were forced to back off and stood in front of Kamui, panting slightly. Sora glared at them and took a ready stance.

"How did he get this strong this fast," demanded Krysnys.

"This li'l whelp is starting to piss me off," growled Trix.

Kamui cackled with a hideous laughter.

"What's so funny?" Sora he shot a large Twilight Edge attack at the two elites, forcing them to block and charged up to Kamui. He flew toward her with a blinding rage, going in for a fatal strike. Kairi took quick notice of Sora's anger, ran over to him with no resistance from Kamui and embraced him quickly.

"Sora...please, calm down. You can't fight her blindly..." she whispered, a tear running down her face. Sora recalled the X-blade and took her in his arms, losing himself in the moment.

"Kairi...I've missed you so much." He replied as he held her in his arms. He then heard clapping. Sora looked up to see Kamui once more, applauding and laughing at the scene. Her teammates dropped down next to her.

"Bravo, you sure know how to romance a young girl." She said. She drew her keyblade as a raven haired man cloaked in red appeared behind her.

"You see this man? You don't know him, but your friends sure do. Right now I own him, and he's going to go eliminate those pesky residents of this world for me." She said.

The man whipped out a triple-barreled handgun and pulled the hammer back. Sora looked onward, confused as to exactly what Kamui was getting at.

"Let me explain the terms given to me by our Master for this little game. You can let your friends out there get killed by this man while you attempt to rescue your girlfriend, or you can leave her again to have some remote chance of saving their lives. Trust me, you won't make it in time if you try to run off with her AND catch up to this man." Kamui explained. Sora wasn't sure if the members of thecommittee could handle this guy, and even if they could there was a chance he would find one of the other groups. Sora held Kairi tightly as he summoned hopped onto his rider and pulled her up, watching them warily.

"Why is he letting me have her so easily?" He demanded.

"Because Sora," she said icily. "The Master wants to know what is more important to you. Your personal connections, or your duties as a Keyblade Master to the worlds."

Sora's gaze turned deadly.

"Your Master has no sense of duty to the worlds. If you were any kind of Keyblade Master you would know how twisted your actions are."

Kamui's expression remained calm as she merely glanced at the red cloaked man.

"Go." she commanded him. The man vanished instantly. Sora turned quickly to give chase and launched off the building, Kairi gripping his waist tightly, but found himself being hunted by the three elites upon their own riders. Dark magic shots rang left and right as he flew through the city, Kairi holding onto him as tightly as she could. Left, right, up, down, everywhere he flew the elites followed. Finally Sora managed to fly just beyond the castle square, where the auto-turrets opened fire upon him and his pursuers.

"Hang on tight Kairi! I'll try to lose them in the crossfire!" He told her. She nodded and held on even tighter to him. Shots rang out, whizzing just past the two here and there. Every dodge seemed like a close call and as if death was just a few steps away.

Sora managed to fly through the barrage of gunfire until they completely stopped. When he looked around to see what had happened, he found the elites standing on the walls. Watching him and grinning maliciously.

Every turret was smashed or broken in some way. With no time to lose Sora took off to a place he'd hoped that he wouldn't be found, and ended up at Villian's Vale, and landed at the base.

He didn't see the elites behind him. Instead he heard the clanking of heavy armor. Sora held Kairi close to him as he called forth the X-blade.

"Try to stay close, and avoid anything that might come, okay?" he whispered. She nodded and looked onward, trying to find the source of the noise. She pointed to Sora's side.

"Sora! Over there!" She told him. He looked over to see Garland standing before him.

The man brandished a rather large weapon and his eyes showed no fear. Sora took a few steps forward, hoping to keep the battle just outside of Kairi's immediate area. Garland walked forward slowly, saying nothing as he approached Sora.

"What did you do with the Warrior of Light?" Sora asked in a demanding tone. Garland laughed as he advanced.

"I crushed that man like he was nothing. He was not fit to fight in the reign of Chaos!"

Garland replied. Sora's expression changed and became more serious.

"You don't mean to say that you killed him...did you?" he spoke with a hint of anger in his voice. Garland picked up his blade and swung torward Sora.

"Why don't you ask my sword yourself?" He roared. The giant blade swept right above Sora's head as he ducked quickly. Sora ran inward, tackling Garland down to the floor as he jumped to cast a fire spell. Garland fell like a sack of potatoes and was caught by

Sora's intense flame spell. When the smoke cleared, Sora stood above Garland, who was simply laying there. Sora tried to lean in to get a closer look, and Garland started laughing.

"Good, BOY! GIVE ME MORE! LET US RELISH IN THE BEAUTY OF CHAOS!" He bellowed as he rolled and stood up. Sora grit his teeth and prepared for another round. Sora ran at Garland once more, this time going for a powerful slashing combination. Garland made no effort to dodge any of Sora's attacks though, instead parrying every strike that came at him using his massive sword. With a mighty swing he sent Sora flying back, with a scream from Kairi.

"Sora, get up!" she yelled at him. Sora managed to get back on his feet, although he was shaking as he stood. The last swing had just knocked the wind out of him, and he was breathing rather heavily. Garland screamed out in excitement and continued to advance toward Sora. Sora caught his breath just as Garland approached, and dodged Garland's strike just as he got close.

"What?" Garland exclaimed. "You still have energy to fight you worm?"

Sora said nothing as the X-blade started to pulsate and glow white. Eventually it was shining with a blinding light as it surged with magical energy. Sora swung the bladecharge at Garland, shouting out as he attacked. He seemed to pass through Garland, who could only stare in shock at the blur before him.

"Zantetsuken!" he cried. Upon impact, Garland roared and vanished.

KHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKH

Seifer, Rai, and Fu were battling heartbourne around them, having a much easier time than

Hayner and Vivi did. The three of them were starting to get a rush as they fought, and each took out their enemies swiftly. Suddenly a red cloak fell from the sky before Seifer.

"What the hell's that?" Seifer said as he stared at the falling red cloth. When it landed in front of him, he decided to poke it with his struggle bat. The moment he did,

the cloak shot up to an adult person's height, and a black-haired man with red eyes stood before Seifer, with a triple barreled handgun pointed in his face. Seifer's eyes widened in an instant and his mind was overcome with shock.

"Seifer!" Fu and Rai screamed as they turned to see the scene unfolding before them. The man's trigger finger started to pull it back, when he suddenly jumped back. Seifer looked on in wonder when Cid came diving down from above in front of Seifer.

"Vince, that you?" Cid asked. The man in red said nothing as he opened fire on Cid.

Just as he lifted his lance to block, a massive shuriken flew by and knocked the bullets off course. The mysterious gunman turned to find the one who threw it, and Cid took the opportunity to try and disarm him. Cid thrust his lance forward, hoping to knock the gun out of his opponent's hand, to which the man turned and shot the blade away at the last moment. Cid hopped back as a ninja girl flew down from above and drop kicked the gunman in the face. Seifer and his gang watched on as the battle suddenly fell out of their hands in both awe and terror. The girl landed on her feet and Cid tapped her on the shoulder.

"Thanks for the help Yuffie." he said.

"No problem." She replied as she turned her attention back to the gunman in front of her.

"I thought you were dead Vincent...what happened to you?" She tried to help him up but her hand was smacked away.

"Don't...come near..." Vincent's voice shook. "...Can't...control...Darkness... Chaos…" he

managed to say as his eyes flashed a bloodier red than normal. Yuffie jumped back, brandishing her oversized shuriken as she and Cid prepared themselves for battle with their friend.

"This is insane, y'know?" Rai said to Fu.

"CONFUSION" She replied. Seifer turned to his friends.

"Let's leave this to those guys. As long as we can keep these other guys in line everything should be fine." He said as he pointed to the mass amounts of heartbourne that were slowly converging on them. With that, he managed to restore his team's morale as they ran off shouting with motivation.

"At least the runts are outta the way." Cid said as he lit another smoke. Yuffie laughed.

"Good to see you're as nice with kids as always." she joked. Vincent stood up pulsating with darkness, interrupting the short conversation. His breathing was labored and his body looked racked in pain. He lifted his gun and pointed it at Yuffie. Cid took the opportunity to jump up high.

"Dark...Purge!" He yelled as he shot dark magic shots at her. Yuffie leaped out of the way and her shuriken glowed blue.

"Vincent! Come back to your senses!" She cried out to him as she threw the massive energy-coated ninja star at him. Vincent stood in place and shot at the oncoming weapon multiple times with his Dark Purge shots, until the blade stopped and fell to the dirt.

Cid came landing down just behind Vincent, holding his spear out in front of him so that he landed with his body behind Vincent and the spear planted in front. Vincent was trapped with very few options for movement.

"Yuffie, NOW!" Cid screamed as Vincent struggled to break Cid's lock. Yuffie ran up to Vincent and performed a series of hand signs before tapping him on the forehead and punching him in the stomach at the same time. Vincent coughed up blood as he stopped moving around and fell unconscious. As he was defeated, a dark shadow dripped from his body and into the ground, where it slithered away into the distance.

"We'd better get 'ol Sir Vampire to Aerith." Cid said to Yuffie.

KHKHKHKHKHKHKH

Warrior of Light lay bloody and beat to hell on a pile of rubble. Aerith had been following him ever since she saw the two fighting around the hangar, and was healing him up as best as she could. Two black feathers fell from the sky. Sephiroth was above her, katana ready to strike. He flew himself down to kill her in one go.

"To the Promised Land..." He said as his blade came closer to her back. Aerith looked up to see Sephiroth above her, and tried to move. Sephiroth smiled as he brought his katana down. Aerith shut her eyes expecting the worst to come. But it never came. She opened her eyes to see Genesis blocking Sephiroth's katana. His rapier was glowing with a red aura as he stood his ground.

"Long time no see...Sephiroth." He chuckled to himself. Sephiroth smirked.

"A weakling as always...Genesis." Sephiroth broke Genesis' guard and leaped back.

Genesis took notice of the shadowy wound that seemed to seep with darkness from where Sephiroth's heart should be.

"Me, a weakling? You're one to talk. Looks like someone else is pulling your strings."

Genesis replied. Sephiroth remained silent as he instantly resumed attacking. Genesis' face turned to a frown as he blocked as many of Sephiroth's attacks as he could. Aerith tried her best to pick up, or at least drag Warrior of Light to a safer distance, but he ended up being too heavy for her to pick up. She instead continued to heal him, hoping that he would regain conciousness.

"What are you doing?" Genesis yelled at Aerith. He glared at her, wondering why she was still hanging around in a deathtrap.

"I must save him!" she yelled as her curaga spell continued to flow into Warrior of Light's wounds. Genesis was irritated by her statement.

"Fine! Get killed for all I care!" he yelled at her as Sephiroth rushed through Genesis' guard and torward Aerith. As Sephiroth swooped in for the strike, Cloud came running in, parrying Sephiroth's Masamune with the buster sword.

"Enough. Leave my friends out of this." he said as he made his grand enterance.

Sephiroth grunted as he flew upward, just out of Cloud's reach.

"Cloud...when will you learn that you will never be rid of me?" he said in a sadistic tone.

"Not this time Sephiroth, not this time." Cloud said as Tifa flew in from behind Sephiroth, throwing him face-first into the ground. Sephiroth's impact left a crater in the ground as Tifa landed next to Cloud.

"Thanks you guys!" Aerith said as she finished healing Warrior of Light. "I might have died from that if it wasn't for you all." She was truly grateful, though Genesis still had a bit of an attitude.

"My, my...how violent. Did you think that some new attacks and tactics would beat me?"

Sephiroth taunted as he rose from the hole that his face was just buried in. Dark orbs formed and circled him as he rose. Genesis charged up a firaga burst, and Cloud held his buster sword out like a platform, which Tifa jumped on.

"Come at me with as many tricks as you like, your result shall always be the same...Death." Sephiroth said as the orbs grew larger and more powerful. Genesis threw his attack, the fire splitting into several smaller firaga shots that exploded upon contact with Sephiroth's darkness orbs.

"GO!" Genesis yelled as Cloud launched Tifa like a rocket at Sephiroth.

"Just die already!" Tifa yelled as she flew past Sephiroth at an insane speed, grabbing onto his coat and throwing him back down to the ground as if she were throwing a meteor.

Sephiroth shot down at a near-impossible speed, but suddenly flipped around and landed softly on his feet. Tifa landed on a nearby building, surprised.

"What? That didn't work!" she thought to herself. Cloud rushed in with Genesis, attacking Sephiroth from both sides. The former hero dodged and parried their attacks left and right, unitl finally Genesis and Cloud both launched a blade beam at him.

Sephiroth swung once and both blasts dissapated.

"None of our attacks are working!" Cloud said as he was breathing heavily.

"Then we'll need to try a different tactic!" Genesis said.

"Got any ideas?" Tifa asked as she punched the ground, creating a fissure that traveled right to Sephiroth, who simply floated above it.

"One." Genesis said as he rushed in with an elaborate sword dance, his own black wing sprouting from his shoulder. "We catch him off-guard with one of our strongest attacks!" he finished as he swung downward on Sephiroth, knocking his feet back down to the ground and caving the dirt in. Sephiroth repelled Genesis and knocked him upward into the air, attacking him and starting an air battle.

Both combatants were keeping rather steady despite each only having one wing, but Sephiroth still held the clear advantage. Cloud ran over to Tifa, and they both jumped.

Tifa knew what to do. She grabbed Cloud's leg and threw him up at Sephiroth as hard as she could, and Cloud shot torward Sephiroth faster than a bullet. Sephiroth was just defending from Genesis's attacks when suddenly Cloud came zooming upward with a golden aura to his body. He smiled as Cloud passed right through Sephiroth, then vanished. Sephiroth looked around frantically for Cloud, and Genesis flew back to charge up a finishing spell. Cloud reappeared behind Sephiroth and passed through him again, and again and again.

"This is it." Cloud said as he crashed through Sephiroth one more time and Sephiroth was sent flying downward into the ground, heavily wounded by the Omnislash ver.5. The second

Sephiroth hit the ground a large magic circle appeared beneath Sephiroth as dark lightning and fire shot upward.

"Taste my Apocalypse!" Genesis cried as he dealt his finishing blow to Sephiroth. The former hero laughed as he fell, taunting before he vanished into darkness.

"I won't ever become...a memory."


	13. Chapter 12: Reign of Chaos

**Sora and Kairi have been reunited for reasons yet unknown**

**Garland and Sephiroth seem to have been defeated, but Gabranth and Kefka are still causing havoc.**

**What are Yuffie and Cids' connection to the gunman called Vincent?**

**And who will get Kefka the candy he so desires?**

**Kingdom Hearts**

**Shattered Unity**

**Chapter 12**

**Reign of Chaos**

"ZANTETSUKEN!" shouted Sora as the knight Garland was cleaved in two, the huge man roaring in pain and rage as he faded into darkness. Sora took a look around and extended his senses, soon coming to the conclusion that he and Kairi were alone. He turned to face her, a sad smile gracing their features.

"Sora," she said walking up to him and taking his hands in hers. "It's been so long…"

"Kairi," he whispered, touching her face with shaking hands. Now that he looked at her more carefully he saw how thin she had become in just two months. Her skin was slightly paler. "What happened to you?"

"They didn't hurt me," she said, cupping his cheek in her hand. "He wouldn't let them."

"Who wouldn't?"

She smiled sadly.

"Riku."

Sora's eye widened before he remembered Riku's effect on Xehanort's subconscious. He smiled and nodded. He then drew her towards him and he kissed her gently. After they broke the kiss she touched his eyepatch and looked to him questioningly. He explained to her his cursed yellow eye, and everything that had passed since they had parted.

Her eyes widened at his tale and tears began to run down her cheeks.

"Oh Sora," she cried, kissing him as passionately as she had when Xehanort had been revived, and he kissed her back just as much.

BOOM!

An explosion sounded from the city and Sora broke the kiss, looking towards the chaos in the distance. Kairi put a hand on his shoulder.

"Let's go," she said. Sora nodded and called forth his rider and X-blade. She hopped on the back and they flew towards the city.

KHKHKHKHKH

Cid and Yuffie had to carry the unconscious Vincent through the streets until they reached Merlin's house where Ayumi, Pence, Ollete, and Aerith were waiting. Aerith had Warrior of light mostly healed and drinking a glass of water while the elixir he had taken settled.

"Where is Merlin?" asked Yuffie, carrying Vincent to the bed, the kids staring wide eyed, and the Warrior of Light watching coldly.

"He's looking for Sora," said Aerith, looking at the person they held.

They laid Vincent on the bed and Aerith rushed over, gasping when she saw who it was.

"How?" she asked.

"Those evil keybladers got him," said Cid, as Yuffie kneeled next to Vincent rubbing his shoulder gently. "They must have been the ones who took him when Malificent took over eleven years ago. And here I thought he died protecting us while we escaped…"

"I can't believe it's been that long," whispered Aerith, lightly touching the hole over his heart. "If I want to fix this I'll have to use my ultimate healing magic. We need to take him outside."

They dragged him outside and laid him on the ground, as was Aerith's command. She took a deep breath. Warrior of Light and the kids watched warily.

"What is she doing?" Ayumi asked Warrior of Light.

"She is healing that man, though I'd rather she didn't personally," he replied quietly.

"Why do you say that?" asked Pence.

"I can feel a powerful, sentient darkness within his heart. It's unnerving."

"_Heavens above,"_ called Aerith. _"I call this prayer for you to play the song of healing and holy life! Great Gospel!"_

Rain began to fall over the ruined city, and it caused many of the Heartbourne to weaken, as those fighting noticed. The hole over Vincent's chest closed and his eyes shot open, blazing red.

KHKHKHKH

Seifer and his crew made their way to Merlin's house gradually taking out any Heartbourne along the way. On their path they saw a large group of men and women in uniforms battling the dark creatures as they went. They assumed that this was SeeD.

The battle had become quite large, hundreds taking part.

"Let's join 'em!" yelled Seifer, holding up his struggle bat.

"You'll need something better than that little club," said Squall, who walked up to them, striking down a few Heartbourne as he went.

"What do you want?" Seifer asked coldly.

"Here," said Squall, tossing him what appeared to be a long gunblade. "You may be a little punk, but you've got some skill."

"Who're you calling a punk, chickenwuss?"

Squall brushed some hair out of his face and chose to ignore that remark, rejoining the battle. Seifer glared at him and looked at the new weapon.

"Hey!" Yuffie ran up to them. "I noticed that your friends have been fighting bare handed this entire time, so I borrowed some weapons from Aerith and I got some from my own stores."

She tossed Rai a wighted bo-staff and Fuu some chakrams.

"Hope they come in handy!"

She ran to join SeeD and Seifer looked at his friends with a devious grin.

"Let's do this!" he yelled, and they nodded. Then they joined SeeD in the battle against the Heartbourne.

Seifer sliced down a few, Rai taking some down with his bo-staff and Fuu slicing through them easily. Seifer caught three with a fire spell shot from the tip of his gunblade.

Fuu was almost caught up in a swarm of Heartbourne, but with a few loud gunblasts, they had been destroyed. She looked to see Vincent twirling his gun in his hand and nodding at her before gunning a few more down.

Then the rest of the committee joined the battle and they gained an extreme advantage. Warrior of Light had recovered completely and was using amazing light spells and waves to take down Heartbourne in large numbers. Cloud and Genesis were eliminating them quickly and skillfully, and Aerith was healing injured SeeD members in droves with her amazing healing powers. Tifa was pounding them one by one and Cid was giving directions to the newer members.

"Yo! Seifer!" called Hayner, appearing with Vivi. "How's it going?"

"Not too bad," said Seifer. "I think we just might win this one."

"Hey!" a SeeD member called to them. He tossed Hayner a short sword and Vivi a short staff. "Use these! Orders from commander Squall!"

Vivi started blasting spells with much better control and accuracy than before. Hayner joined in and took down the Heartbourne alongside the others.

"Begone creatures!" shouted none other than Golbez, as he used Genesis Rock to destroy a large group of Heartbourne. "I finally arrive and the war has already begun. Some welcome this has become."

"Who are you?" demanded Squall, looking up at the floating hulk.

"I am a friend of Sora. I apologize for arriving so abruptly, but it seems we have more pressing matters to deal with."

He pointed to something, and Squall turned, his eye's widening.

"Look out!" shouted a member of SeeD, but his words were drowned out by a meteor spell that took out a large group from both sides, from none other than Cauldishek, flanked by his nine companions, all standing atop a burning building. The committee turned their attention to the Lucid Key Elite.

"Who the hell-?" started Cid, but was cut off when Cauldishek raised his hand and the Heartbourne ceased their attacks.

"HOLD!" boomed Squall from the center of the battlefield. All of SeeD stopped their attacks. He then turned on the Elites. "Who are you and why do you attack our world?"

"Our great Lord and Master Xehanort sends his regards!" shouted Cauldishek back at Squall. "All we want is the Princess of Soul and the Keyblade Master known as Sora! Give them to us and we will withdraw from this pitiful world!"

"You hear that?" shouted Cid from his spot on the battlefield. "This old fool wants us to give them the ones who have saved our world in the first place! And why? Because when they get what they want they'll destroy this place, as well as all the worlds! What do you think of that?"

SeeD, who heard every word shouted and jeered at Cauldishek.

"LET'S SHOW THESE PUNKS WHAT IT MEANS TO TRAMPLE OUR GARDEN!"

With a resounding battle cry, SeeD resumed its attacks on the Heartbourne. Cauldishek was enraged.

"WHERE ARE THE THREE?"

"Two of them have fallen Master," said Kamui.

"Where's the other guy?" asked Kigara, looking at Kain, who merely shrugged.

"FEEL THIS PAIN!" screamed Gabranth, as Kefka was launched through a nearby building by a black beam of energy, cackling madly as it went. Gabranth landed next to Cauldishek and brushed off his armor.

The Committee lined up to face the Luicid Key Elite and their allies (and Kefka).

"So," said Vincent to Cloud. "Where is this Keyblade Master everyone seems to be talking about?"

"I'm here," said Sora as he stepped forward in full armor, sans the helmet, his eyepatch cast aside to reveal his yellow eye, X-blade in hand. "Kairi is with Merlin. It's good to see you Golbez."

The sorcerer nodded.

"I apologize for not being able to save your master," he replied.

"No worries, so let's do this!" shouted Sora, taking a ready stance. "I'll take the leader, and whoever else I have to! The rest of you fight who you will!"

**(recommended song: Nightwish- 10****th**** Man Down)**

Sora, Squall, Cloud, Tifa, Yuffie, Cid, Vincent, Genesis, Warrior of Light, and Golbez stood on one side of the battlefield.

Cauldishek, Kigara, Feratu, Azulong, Kajime, Kamui, Trix, Kain, Krynys, Sakaki, Gabranth and Kefka stood on the other side. They all slapped various parts of their bodies and were suddenly wearing armor similar to Sora's, but like him, kept their helmet's off.

Then, in a flash, they were all in the air.

Sora instantly clashed blades with Cauldishek, who was in shock at the increase in power he was feeling, and called for Kigara and Feratu to help him. The two tried to take Sora out from both sides, but he warped away and they passed through empty air.

"TWILIGHT EDGE!" Sora took his Form and appeared above them, entering an elaborate sword dance with the three. The battle grew fiercer and more intense. Sora's X-blade collided with the elite's keyblades over and over again, sparks flying every time.

"Where did this boy gain such power?" Feratu shouted as he fought. The action of even talking took his concentration away for a split second though, and Sora struck his weapon with enough power to hit Feratu in the face by the back of his own keyblade, sending him flying several meters. Kigara noticed the difference in ability too. Sora continued to cross keyblades with the other two, and the battle raged on around them. Off to the side, Cloud and Sakaki swung their massive blades, each just missing each other by centimeters with each strike.

"What's wrong? Put some passion into your strikes!" Sakaki egged Cloud on as they fought. Cloud attacked using his Cross Slash in response.

"Shut it, your attitude irritates me." He said as he brought his buster sword down, only for Sakaki to block with his equally large keyblade. Nearby Tifa was locked in battle with Trix, treading cautiously to avoid being hit by magic off-guard.

"Seeing a woman like you just gets my blood boiling!" Trix yelled as she made short, quick movements with a thunder spell firing here and there. She tried to juke Tifa out, and strike when she wouldn't be able to evade. Unfortunately for her, Tifa managed to see the lightning strike shoot just by her face as she rushed in, slamming her fist into Trix's abdomen. Just when it seemed like Tifa could send her flying, Trix kicked Tifa in the jaw and landed on her feet.

"As if. You're a fool for coming at me bare-handed!" She taunted. Tifa slid back a bit, but quickly regained composure as she readied herself to attack again. She tensed her fists and started to run, when Kefka was sent flying right through the middle of their battle.

The clown laughed as he continued to disrupt the battles left and right, with Vincent hot on his trail. Kamui was following Vincent, curious to see how he broke out of her control. To keep up the chase further, Yuffie was hot on Kamui's heels with her massive shuriken in tow. As they passed, Kefka threw rather...oddly shaped magic attacks while laughing like an insane idiot. Vincent passed through the explosions relatively unharmed as he opened fire on the clown. He pulled the trigger, shooting rapidly at Kefka. As each bullet approached, quick magic shots rang out from a distance, knocking every one of Vincent's shots off-course.

He looked around to find the sniper, and Kain smiled in the distance. He fired another shot as a quick firefight erupted and Kefka danced off. Kamui was finally starting to catch up to Vincent when a large shuriken flew in front of her, causing her to stop. She spun around to see Yuffie in midair, catching the large weapon that just flew in front of her.

"You've got guts to pick a fight with me, little girl." Kamui said, licking her lips as she brandished her keyblade.

"I'll make sure you pay you back for what you did to Vincent!" Yuffie yelled back as she flew upward, throwing several shuriken that spun around with the wind before converging on Kamui. The reaction wasn't quite what Yuffie expected, as Kamui raised her keyblade and a dark aura wave shot out, rendering her attacks ineffective. Yuffie looked on in surprise that her enemy had such power.

"Why do you care so much about my little experiment?" Kamui asked as she thrust her keyblade torward Yuffie. Her movement was by no means slow, if she'd been fighting someone other than a ninja. Yuffie jumped above Kamui and threw her super shuriken at her from near point-blank range. Kamui vanished into a burst of darkness upon impact, and then reappeared a few meters away.

"He's not your experiment! He's our...he's my..." Yuffie cried tears of rage as she landed and retrieved her weapon. Kamui's face lit up with excitement.

"I see, you love him just like the disgusting keyblade master and girl we captured! How repulsive." Kamui spat at Yuffie with a nasty glare to her eyes. Yuffie gripped her shuriken tightly and made a blinding dash torward Kamui, only for them both to be sent flying as the ground beneath them shattered. Golbez fired off another Genesis Rock, knocking Cauldishek out of Sora's way. Sora was able to put his attention back to Kigara, and the two locked blades. Each roared at the other as the poured their strength into every strike. Sparks flew as the two battled intensely. Left, right, up down every direction was an attack or parry from one or the other. Cauldishek shook his head as he tried to get back into the intense battle, but was cut off by Squall as he tried to re-enter the duel between Sora and Kigara.

"I won't let you lay a hand on Sora," Squall said coolly to Cauldishek. "You really shouldn't interfere in your apprentice's battles you know."

"Fool! You believe that an insect such as you is worth my time?" Caldishek replied with fury in his voice. Squall left little time for conversation as he lifted his hand and lightning bolts blasted towards his foe. Cauldishek blocked, but was struck by a subsequent strike from Golbez, who was offering a hand in this fight, and was flung towards Squall in a bit of a daze. Cauldishek was about to be attacked by Golbez, who was emanating a powerful sense of pure rage towards him, but he was suddenly hit by magical blasts from Kefka and crescent arcs from Gabranth, forcing him to fall back and fend them off. Squall struck at Cauldishek with a varying attack, quick enough to appear as though he were attacking from all directions.

As Cauldishek was caught in the combination attack, Feratu fully recovered from his earlier mishap, and rushed to Caulishek's aid. Feratu flew in with a magnificent thrust attack, forcing Squall to back off from attacking Cauldishek or else he would be mortally wounded. Just as the battle started to look grim for Squall at two versus one, Cauldishek was tackled down by Genesis, who had just arrived on the battlefield.

The two rolled as they fought, eventually falling off the edge of a cliff. They landed down on top of Kajime and Aerith, both of whom had done their best to avoid getting directly involved in the conflict. Cauldishek and Genesis stood and faced each other, both seething in anger. Kajime and Aerith watched in awe and horror as the two of them locked blades in vicious combat. Cauldishek called Kajime for assistance. She nodded towards Aerith and joined in the fight and Genesis was forced to defend himself from their strikes.

Sora and Kigara each glowed with frightening auras as their battle raged all over the battlefield, avoiding magical attacks and gunfire from both sides and massive boulders shot from Golbez at his own foes. Soon they were in the center of it all, blades locked and their faces inches from each other's.

"I see we've both gotten stronger," grunted Sora, pushing him away, and they began to circle each other threateningly.

"You and I never have had a fair fight have we?" growled Kigara. "There's always someone to get in the middle of it."

"Well here we are." Sora shot back.

Then they pounced on each other like wild animals, taking to the air as their blades struck eachother viciously, then separated and landed on the ground. They each charged more and more magical power into their blades, until they reached Bladecharge, Kigara's a dark purple and Sora's a bright blue. The blades buzzed and hummed as they flew through the air at unmatched intensity.

They charged each other and when their blades met, there was a blinding flash, and a wave of pure magic and energy shot out in all directions, killing several SeeD and Heartbourne. The combatants on both sides turned their attention to the blast, only to see Kigara fly out of it screaming.

When the smoke cleared Sora stood victorious, though sporting a minor wound on his abdomen.

Kigara suddenly warped in behind him, his face a picture of pure rage and Sora warped in turn, Kigara's strike hitting thin air. Sora appeared across from him, his stance defensive.

"You are holding back Kigara," said Sora.

"As are you Light boy," replied Kigara, a violet aura erupting around him.

"So I am," said Sora, a silver aura erupting around him.

"EARTHBOUND FIST!" screamed Kigara, a wave of purple energy shooting towards Sora.

"TWILIGHT EDGE!" Sora shouted back, making two diagonal swipes in the air and launching the golden X at his enemy.

The two attacks met at the center, and in a bright flash they exploded and were replaced with Sora and Kigara in the middle, blades locked, both bleeding from various wounds. Then they were back in the air, only a silver and purple streaks flying through the air and meeting with a flash of light at a few points. Then gravity took effect and they landed on the ground panting slightly.

"I see," said Sora. "Our command forms are the same in that they can only increase our power in short bursts."

"I am not as weak as you!" hissed Kigara.

"Can it," said Sora, standing straight. "Our powers are equal."

"No!" screamed Kigara, digging around in his armor. "NO NO NO! YOU ARE A WEAK LIGHT BOY!"

He then pulled out his prized card and laughed insanely.

"KYAAHAAHAHAHA!" he cackled madly. "DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS IS?"

"It looks like a card," said Sora, raising his guard.

"NOT JUST ANY CARD LIGHT BOY! THIS IS A SUMMON CHARM!"

"What?"

"By chanting a secret prayer and sacrificing the souls of everyone here, human and Heartbourne alike, I can summon the ultimate Earthbound God Ccpac Apu!"

"NO!" screamed Sora as he charged at Kigara desperately, but Kigara grinned cruelly and began his chant.

"_I sacrifice these souls to you! Advent! Earthbound God Ccpac A-_guh!"

Kigara was suddenly interrupted by a fist to the face thrown from Kain, who had heard Kigara's chant from his post high above. Sora stopped his charge and took a stance.

"IDIOT!" Kain roared at Kigara, who was staggering to his feet. "CAULDISHEK TOLD YOU TO NEVER USE THAT THING!"

Kigara began to glow an ominous purple and grabbed the far weaker Kain by the throat.

"Never touch me," he hissed quietly. Kain only wretched in response. Kigara was prepared to snap his neck but was forced to drop him to block an attack from Sora, who threw a ball of fire in his face, causing him to fall down.

"Are you okay?" demanded Sora. Kain rubbed his throat for a second and attempted to attack Sora, who blocked his strikes much more easily than he could Kigara, Cauldishek or Feratu.

"You are kinda new at this aren't you?" Sora asked. Kain growled in response which Sora took as a "yes".

They continued to trade strikes, Sora taking note of Kain's speed, but lack of power, concluding that Kain was a marksman, or mage type, not a direct fighter. He sensed a presence behind him and blocked a strike from Krysnis, who had come to the rescue of her crush. The three of them began fighting viciously. Sora also took note of Krysnys' power, and realized that, while also fairly new to this, she was actually quite skilled. They both tried for a simultaneous blow to his head, but with his most powerful Aereoga spell, he was able to send them flying. Before the pair could retaliate, they were blocked by Vincent, who fought them with his amazing hand to hand skills.

Sora turned to see Kigara on his feet again. Sora looked and saw that he had not been able to prevent the fireball he had been struck with from harming him, evident from the huge burns over his right eye.

"Y-you have…" hissed Kigara. "Marked me…"

"Marked you?" asked Sora.

"Like your golden eye…. You have marked me…. I will kill you for this…."

Kigara's dark aura grew.

"I'LL KILL YOOOOU!" he screamed as loud as he could, rushing at Sora at top speeds. Sora braced himself to block, but suddenly heard the swishing of a cloak and wretching noises. Standing in front of Sora with Kigara's throat in his hand was Feratu. Sora was in awe of Feratu's true strength.

"Sorry Kigara,"he said. "But Master has already claimed him."

He dropped Kigara to the ground and turned to face Sora, raising his Grisly Wing keyblade. Sora raised the X-blade cautiously.

"Unlike this fool," said the masked man. "I do not aim to kill, merely capture. Kigara, return to the ship. Cauldishek's orders."

Kigara spat at Feratu, who ignored him, and glared at Sora.

"I don't care what they say," he hissed. "I swear I will track you down no matter where you go and I will kill you myself!"

He then summoned his rider and flew towards the mothership. In the bridge, Xehanort was watching with interest. Perhaps he could use Kigara's rage to his advantage.

Back in the battle, neither side was gaining ground and with one member down, Cauldishek ordered a full retreat of his forces.

Feratu recalled his Keyblade before he and Sora could start their fight.

"My master calls," said Feratu. "We will finish this later."

He then vanished in a puff of black smoke, as did the remaining Elites, Gabranth, Kefka and the Heartbourne. The SeeD members were prepared to cry out in victory but Sora's voice rang out, amplified magically.

"We haven't won yet!" he called. "They are planning something!"

The committee and its allies, including the Twilight Town kids that fought Heartbourne gathered to him.

"What next?" asked Hayner.

"Order a full retreat," said Squall. "We need to get our remaining troops somewhere safe in case something happens."

"FALL BACK TO THE CASTLE!" roared Cid. "LET'S GO!"

The SeeDs followed unquestioningly and began their full retreat.

"Sora should use this opportunity to get out of here with the kids," said Squall. "We'll keep fighting until you get back."

"All right," said Sora. "My ship isn't far from here. I'm just hoping everyone is all right. Let's go!"

"I'm coming with you," said Vincent, stepping forward. "I'll scout from above and watch your back."

Sora nodded at him and motioned for the TT gang to follow them. Vincent loaded his gun and took to the rooftops. The others went to organize their defenses. When they got there Merlin and the kids were waiting, Ayumi had yet to set Mokona down.

"Sora!" cried Kairi and Ollette simultaneously running towards him, but stopped and looked at each other, Ollette embarrassedly, Kairi questioningly. Sora kissed Kairi and hugged a disappointed looking Ollette. He also hugged a surprised looking Ayumi.

"We're leaving," he said bluntly. "We need to get out of here before Xehanort gets tired of waiting for his lackeys to capture us."

Everyone voiced their agreement and Sora, X-blade in hand and Vincent above ran to the alleyway where he had landed the Gummi ship. When they got to the market, Sora saw Vincent raise his gauntleted right hand. He stopped running and reached out with his senses.

"THE CASTLE!" he shouted. "VINCENT, GUARD THEM!"

He immediately flared his silver aura and shot towards the castle, warping in and out of view every few hundred yards.

"What was that about?" muttered Pence.

"Something tells me it has something to do with that," said Hayner, pointing to a black funnel cloud forming over the top of the castle.

KHKHKHKH

Xehanort himself stood at the highest spire of the castle holding Gabranth by the throat.

"W-what is th-this?" choked the judge, his helmet cast aside to reveal a handsome blonde man with short hair.

"You shall be judged for your own sins Judge Magister," replied the Dark Master.

Xehanort, gripping Gabranth's throat with his left hand, reached into the hole in Gabranth's chest and slowly pulled out a pink orb: Gabranth's heart.

"By using the overwhelming darkness in your heart," he said, letting Gabranth's corpse fall to vanish in a golden light. "And combining it with that of the ones called Sephiroth and Garland…"

In his other hand, two more pink orbs seemed to revolve around each other. When he let Gabranth's heart join them they seemed to rotate faster and faster.

"I can summon a beast of untold power, just by using the darkness of the three disgraced generals."

He raised his hand and the hearts shot into the heart of the funnel cloud.

"And with a touch of my own personal darkness…"

He raised his keyblade and a violet beam hit the three hearts. Then, the black clouds took shape around them and began to take shape. The form was basically humanoid, but was huge, easily three times the size of the six and a half foot Xehanort. While the creature was still taking shape, Xehanort turned his attention to something speeding towards him.

He raised his Keyblade and blocked a strike from an enraged Sora.

"So you've sought me out boy, is it for revenge now?" Xehanort chuckled to himself as his creation was still forming. He broke off Sora's attack and knocked him back. Sora did a backflip and landed on the balcony of a lower spire.

"Sorry, but whatever you're planning, I can't let you get away with it," Sora replied with a smirk. He jumped forward while launching a blade beam at Xehanort, which was easily dispelled by the Dark Master. The cloud seemed to finally take on a form, but then dispersed. Xehanort laughed madly.

"What's so funny?" Sora asked.

"It has already begun." Xehanort said as he vanished.

"What?" Sora looked frantically for Xehanort. Off in the distance he heard a scream. Sora tried to run in that direction but Xehanort reappeared in front of him and they clashed blades. They pushed off of each other and leapt to the ground far below.

"Get out of my way!" hissed Sora, brandishing the X-blade at his arch foe.

"Or what?" scoffed Xehanort. "You'll kill me?"

"Shut up!"

"You and I both know that if you fight me here, you will die."

"I'm stronger than I was before!"

Sora let out a deep roar and entered Twilight edge form, his armor glowing brightly.

"So be it," grinned Xehanort, raising his keyblade. Then they both warped away.

KHKHKHKHKHKHKHKH

Back in town, buildings were being destroyed left and right. The townspeople ran about amidst the chaos. A large demonic being with four arms and large wings was running rampant in the streets, crushing nearly everything in sight. It turned its head to see a large number of SeeD as well as Squall and Genesis rushing to battle the oversized beast. The monster roared and repelled a large number of people, as they flew back through various homes and shops. Kairi, Ayumi and the others watched as their friends faced a creature more frightening then they had ever seen before. It was a muscular four-armed fiend in dark and red hues, with large wings sprouting from his back and demonic faces on his knees. He had a long tail and several horns, the most prominent of which are two red horns that curve into the air. It wore a loincloth with another face on it, and a red amulet.

"**Who has summoned me?****" **It boomed in a deep voice, ignoring the gunfire, arrows and projectiles striking its skin. " **I, the god Chaos am not one to be called upon at a whim!****"**

He then let out an earth shattering roar before attacking the forces shooting at him. He inhaled deeply and shot a massive fireball from his mouth, decimating a few building and wiping out some of SeeD. Squall flew in above Chaos from the top of a still-standing building as he swung his gunblade down on Chaos's head. Genesis flew upward from below, hoping to strike at Chaos's legs as he went up. Chaos roared and sent both warriors flying back as he continued his rampage. Squall landed next to Genesis, his landing being cushioned by a half-burnt couch that sat atop a pile of rubble.

"How do we take out a god?" Genesis panted. Squall managed to lift himself up as he shook his head.

"We can't defeat it like this. We need our forces to retreat." Squall said. He jumped down and hid behind the pile of debris, Genesis kept close for survival.

"Cid, this is Squall. Do you read? Requesting a pickup immediately. We need a full retreat to the base furthest from here ASAP. Over." Squall said as he pinched a side of his jacket while talking. Genesis looked around, keeping an eye on Chaos's movements.

"You goddamned son of a bitch I can't wait to pay them back for destroying the Shera! Hang tight pretty boy and we'll swing by in the Highwind shortly." Cid yelled back through the receiver. Genesis's face turned sour as he turned to yell at Squall.

"He's coming this way! Let's move unless you want to die!" Genesis yelled as he pushed Squall and started running. Chaos roared as he stomped on the ground and spat large fireballs outward. Squall ran to catch up to Genesis as the fireballs exploded upon the debris pile they'd just hid behind. Metal, glass, and concrete were sent flying in various directions. The two turned themselves around to look at the pseudo-grenade blast as they tried their best to dodge and parry every shot that came their way. Shards whizzed past the two, and several made cuts here and there. Squall stepped back after the oncoming shots stopped and Chaos continued moving, having not noticed the two still alive. Genesis dropped to one knee as he breathed hard. Chaos turned its head as it readied itself to destroy the rest of the town. Squall angrily grabbed the commlink in his jacket and yelled into it.

"Cid, where the hell are you?" Squall shouted. A missile exploded in Chaos's face and both Squall and Genesis looked up.

"Yee-haw! Eat that, Ugly!" Cid shouted from the Highwind intercom as he swooped down for the pickup. A ladder dropped from the deck and Squall took hold while Genesis extended his wing and flew up to the deck Just as the smoke cleared from in front of Chaos's face, Cid took off at maximum speed as they broke off toward another base. Squall held on as tightly as he could, his grip slipping little by little as the ladder was pulled up by Tifa and Golbez. When Squall was finally up with everyone he lied down as Aerith ran over to heal him.

"Did the townspeople evacuate to the underground bases?" Squall asked.

"Yeah, SeeD went ahead and moved with them. They'll meet us at Balamb base on the other side of the world." Yuffie said. Genesis walked inside as he pulled out his book, still undamaged despite the battle he'd been in today. He walked off, reciting lines to himself.

Squall looked around. "Where's Vincent? I thought he would be with you." He asked Yuffie as though interrogating her.

"He was actually with Sora and the kids…but we haven't seen or heard from him since." Yuffie frowned and slouched as she sat in a corner.

Just then Sora's gummi ship whizzed by and dove downward. Cid nearly hit the smaller ship and within a minute his voice was booming over the intercom.

"Dammit kids if you can't fly on your own then DON'T !#$%^& DO IT!" Cid yelled out at the smaller ship.

"Sorry! We're doing our best!" Kairi replied. They went downward, leaving the Highwind be as they looked for Sora. Ayumi tapped Hayner on the shoulder and pointed to two small figures on their monitor.

"Isn't that him down there?" She asked. Hayner looked closely and nodded.

"Yup. Time for us to come in saving the day!" he shouted. Everyone on board except for Vincent got excited.

KHKHKHKHKHKH

Sora and Xehanort traded blows left and right, Sora striking with incredible precision and speed. Xehanort merely laughed as he continued to parry Sora's oncoming attacks with little effort.

"You're going to run out of steam eventually boy. When you stop attacking I'll take great pleasure in my turn for the offense." Xehanort taunted. Sora stepped back, panting. He knew that at his rate he was getting nowhere fast.

"I'm not going to let you destroy this world any further!" Sora yelled. He charged up the X-blade with the blue bladecharge as he flew at Xehanort, his strength pouring out from the magical charge in the X-blade. He thrust forward to try and stab Xehanort, but Xehanort raised his keyblade as he took the attack head on and blocked it. When the two clashed, the bladecharge shrank from its massive coating until it barely looked like an aura around the X-blade. Sora's eyes widened as his attack was overcome. Xehanort smiled.

"My turn." He chuckled.


	14. Chapter 13: Final Dawn

**Finally, the truth behind the Radient Garden Arc!**

**Kingdom Hearts**

**Shattered Unity**

**Chapter 13**

**Final Dawn**

"My turn!"

As soon as those words left Xehanort's lips Sora felt a hand grab onto his face as he was driven through the wall of the castle, exploding through many thick walls and barriers before he exited the other side and was tossed away by the dark master. Sora felt the blood going down the back of his neck and he could taste it in his mouth. He spit off to the side and took a ready stance but was struck from behind by Xehanort's boot. He stumbled forward and suddenly felt Xehanort's hand close over his throat, lift him into the air and slam him into the hard ground. Xehanort then lifted him off of his feet and threw him into the area Sora had killed Demyx in.

"You are pathetic," hissed Xehanort, floating down in front of him, his weapon long since dismissed. "Weak children have no right to wield the X-blade!"

Sora felt the boot connect with his ribs as he was launched across the area and hit a rock wall. Again he stood and held the X-blade ready, his armor dented and weakening.

"You call yourself a master, but you are nothing more than a brat with a stick."

Sora spit some blood at Xehanort and charged at him with a shout.

The X-blade sliced through the air with incredible speed, Xehanort dodging every swipe with ease. Xehanort ducked under one of the swipes and punched him in the jaw, sending him spiraling through the air and into the rock wall again.

"This is getting boring," said Xehanort, watching Sora stand shakily, the X-blade never leaving his grip. "The wielder of the X-blade is supposed to be blessed with unimaginable power, beyond anything ever seen by man or beast. You are strong, no doubt about that, but nowhere near the level of power you should be at."

Sora looked at Xehanort, then at the X-blade, wondering if he really was lacking the power he should have. Was there something Yen Sid never told him?

"If I were a fool, I'd let you leave here again to try and find that power out of some moronic idea that if I did I'd have the chance to fight someone who could pose a challenge to me. But I'm an old man; I lost interest in petty squabbles many years ago."

He thrust out his hand and an invisible force knocked Sora off of his feet. Xehanort threw his hand to his right and Sora was launched across the area into the opposite cliff wall. He was then lifted high into the air, facing the sky, a look of pure pain and horror etched onto his features. He was thrown to the ground, hard, and dragged across to Xehanort's feet. Xehanort summoned his Keyblade.

"You know, Riku's pleading for me to stop this is giving me quite a headache," said Xehanort.

Sora only stared at him silently.

"So if I end this now, perhaps he'll shut up sooner."

Sora did not move or flinch as the keyblade was brought down on him.

_I guess,_ he thought to himself. _This is what I get for running in blindly. Some master I turned out to be. Sorry Kairi, Ayumi, everybody.__ Guess I just killed you all._

Sora closed his eyes, prepared for death. It never came.

"NO!" screamed a familiar voice. Sora's ship flew overhead, as a huge blue furred… thing tackled Xehanort to the ground. Xehanort threw it off, spun to his feet acrobatically and poised his Keyblade, ready to kill it. It was a large creature, twice as tall as any man and with blue fur and a crimson mane. It had a long tail and was canine in appearance. It roared at Xehanort and spit a fireball at him, which was quickly deflected.

"So, Kamui's toy got loose eh?" Xehanort chuckled, casting a dark wave, throwing the beast into the cliff wall. The cliff buckled from the abuse and the beast was covered in a rock slide, roaring in pain. When the rocks stopped falling, a golden claw forced its way out of the rubble. A battered Vincent crawled out, pulling his pistol and firing at Xehanort, the bullets bouncing harmlessly off of an invisible force field.

"Sora!" cried Kairi, running over to him and falling to her knees at his side.

"K-Kairi," he croaked. She sobbed and touched his face, blood getting on her fingers.

"You idiot, why would you…?" she broke down crying.

"Sorry Kairi," he said. "I had to protect you guys somehow."

"But if you die, then who will protect the worlds?" she demanded. "Don't throw your life away so carelessly!"

"This is touching," said Xehanort, ignoring the gunshots and walking towards them. "But I'm afraid this is where your love story ends."

"No!" shouted Kairi, covering Sora with her own body. "It isn't over! I'll protect Sora with my life! Our story will never end! We'll beat you together!"

Sora's eyes shot open in realization. This was what he was missing. Her resolve to protect him seemed to revive him physically and mentally.

"She's right!" he said, his voice firm. He slowly stood up. "I thought it was my duty to defeat you Xehanort! My burden! But now I know why I don't have the power to use the X-blade effectively! Because my heart has been shut by my selfish desire to kill you! Now I know! Now I remember!"

"What?" Xehanort hissed maliciously.

Sora looked at Kairi, and to Vincent, who had ceased his shooting and was watching them closely. He clasped Kairi's hand tightly in his.

"MY FRIENDS ARE MY POWER!" Sora shouted. There was a bright flash of light and Xehanort backed away, shielding his eyes in pain. "AND OUR STORY WILL NEVER END!"

KHKHKHKH

Within the confines of Sora's heart, Ventus opened his eyes and smiled brightly, looking up.

"I'll help too!" he shouted, raising his hands and vanishing in a bright light.

KHKHKHKH

**(Reccomended Song: Neverending Story—DJ Melodie)**

When the light faded, Sora stood alone, Kairi nowhere to be seen, a new drive form revealed. Sora's armor had been repaired and was a blazing white and gold coloration. The blood and wounds were gone completely, and Sora's eyes were as blue as the brightest sky. The X-blade had a blue and gold bladecharge around the blade.

"What?" growled Xehanort, shock etched onto his features. "The light! I-It's so… warm!"

Sora flourished his weapons.

"Final Dawn FORM!" he shouted, though the voices of Kairi and even Ventus could be heard beneath his.

"You combined with the girl _and _Ventus?"

Sora said nothing and appeared in front of Xehanort, who was instantly on the defensive, their speed and strength an almost perfect match. The two danced around each other, trading blows, each one sending a pulse of wind out, causing Vincent's cloak to flap wildly out.

Sora and Xehanort were instantly in midair, their weapons just blazing streaks and the clashes occurring so fast they were heard as a metallic whine.

Sora and Xehanort separated and landed on opposite cliffs. Xehanort roared in anger at the thought that they were so well matched. He raised his keyblade and fired a beam of violet energy at Sora, and Sora copied the action, his beam a bright golden color. The beams clashed and the two stood their ground, each struggling to push their attacks forward. Xehanort roared in animalistic fury and his beam won out, forcing Sora to step aside to avoid it. Behind him a rock formation exploded violently and he charged at Xehanort, ducking under a swipe from the dark master and head butting him in the gut. The two went flying into the city, bringing down several buildings in their path. They recovered and stood ten feet apart, weapons poised.

The two once again engaged in furious combat, neither side gaining much ground. Xehanort created a crimson blade charge of his own and hit Sora's with enough force to go flying through the air to where Chaos was, hitting the demon in the face. Chaos cried out in rage and shock, lost his balance and fell to the ground.

Sora, not wanting to incur the monster's wrath, laughed sheepishly and flew into the air, where Xehanort was flying in his direction. Sora realized he could not stand up to Xehanort's mighty blade charge and summoned two Ultima weapons, one from each of his journeys, and gave them blue blade charges. Sora backed off and, as though he were in final form, used telekinesis to use the keyblades, and engaged Xehanort from a distance. Xehanort charged at Sora, his keyblade glowing in a dark purple aura of rage and fury.

"Don't get elated boy!" The old man yelled as he slashed downward, the dark bladecharge crashing down before Sora with a cataclysmic roar. Sora flew off to the side, dodging the large beam blade as he used his mind links to swing both Ultima Weapons at Xehanort. The two keyblades flew at high-speed toward Xehanort, when suddenly a large demonic arm came falling down, defending Xehanort from the attack. Chaos turned his head and roared, knocking the keyblades back to Sora. Sora jumped back, re-positioning himself to fight through Chaos to get to Xehanort. The old man smiled.

"We got your back Sora!" Pence's voice boomed over the gummi ship's speakers as Seifer fired off several shots at Chaos's face, and the oversized demon stumbled down on its back, screeching out in irritation. The monster roared as a great tremor shook the area around them, and Sora fell to his knees from the sudden shock. When he looked up, Xehanort was gone. He should have been standing right where he was when the ultima weapons were attacking, but the old man was gone. Sora looked around, trying to find him.

"Behind you!" Xehanort whispered as he swung his keyblade at Sora's neck from behind. Sora turned and tried to jump back. Just as he did, Xehanort jumped back as well, as several laser shots slammed into the area. Sora grit his teeth as the Ultima Weapons took on a blue colored-glow and the X-blade shined with a bright golden aura. The gummi ship whizzed overhead, continuing to keep Chaos busy while Sora fought. The two ran again at each other, Sora striking rapidly and precisely from all angles and Xehanort parrying every attack as they came. Blow after blow, each did their best to overpower the other. Xehanort finally grew impatient and knocked Sora back with a quick burst of dark aura. Sora dug his feet into the ground below him, knocking over debris here and there as he slid away from Xehanort. He made a rushing stab at Xehanort, speeding as if he were merely an afterimage. He slashed right through Xehanort not once, but six times. Each time Sora attacked, the Ultima Weapons left their strikes in an X-shape. When Sora finished his Sonic Raid he turned and looked at Xehanort. The old man was still standing, smiling as though he hadn't taken any damage at all. Sora looked at his feet to see that his enemy had parried every strike while keeping his movements to an absolute minimum. The dark master lifted his keyblade once more as he charged up a dark orb in his left hand. Sora used his telekinetic link with both ultima weapons to send them flying once more, this time each striking as Xehanort nonstop. Every strike the keyblades made was blocked and dodged. Sora moved in to add his attacks to the mix, when Xehanort released the orb at his feet.

KHKHKHKHKH

Hayner and Seifer were arguing at each other, attempting to steer clear of Chaos' attacks as they flew up and down among the debris and demon himself.

"Fly steady! I can't shoot like this!" Seifer yelled. Hayner jerked the gummi ship again as everyone on board held onto their seats out of fear that they might be tossed out.

"Hey, do you want to dodge that thing's attacks or not?" Hayner shouted back. The gummi ship flew just past Chaos' leg, and Seifer opened fire on it.

"Just attack and don't get us killed!" Ayumi screamed at the two as the gummi ship continued to fly around the battlefield, wildly dodging and having several close calls.

KHKHKHKHKH

Sora braced himself and guarded against Xehanort's attack, only to look up and see himself surrounded in a ring of purple flames. Xehanort smiled as he walked forward calmly.

"This is a duel to the death, boy." The dark master hissed. "You will fight with me and die here. That is your destiny." Sora stood up and noticed that his ultima weapons couldn't go past the wall of violet flames.

(Recommended song: Musubareru Sekai – Kenji Kawai)

"If that's how it's going to be, then so be it." Sora replied with a sound of determination in his voice. His eyes seemed to change with a look of newfound resolution. He was prepared to give it his all in this battle. He steadied the Ultima weapons and gripped the handle of the X-blade tightly. He stepped forward just a mere half step. And Xehanort did the same. Each looked each other in the eyes with a determination to defeat one another. The Ultima keyblades circled around Sora like lightning around a coil. Xehanort smiled as he snapped his fingers, and two keyblades appeared behind him. Sora didn't quite recognize one, but the other he knew immediately as The Way to Dawn. Xehanort chuckled.

"Surprised, boy? Your power is something I can do at will, much unlike yourself. *he waved to the larger, brown and blue colored keyblade. "Ends of the Earth…taken by Terra." He then waved to the other. "The Way to Dawn, from your friend Riku." "Both are keyblades bearing magnificent power…and they shall use that power to destroy your last hopes of survival." He taunted.

"Then I'll make sure to put a stop to your control over them!" Sora said as he took another step forward, and both Ultima Weapons spun and sliced at Xehanort, only to be blocked by Xehanort's summoned keyblades. Sora swung down, and Xehanort blocked, each locking blades together in mortal combat. Sparks flew from the clashing of the keyblades, and every time Sora or Xehanort attacked, the other would parry. Bright lights shone every time the blades struck each other. It almost looked like the two were performing an elaborate dance with one another, except they were aiming to kill each other.

KHKHKHKH

Hayner managed to distract Chaos at every turn he made. Any time the monster turned, the ship was once again out of sight. He flew down as Seifer shot a pile of rubble to draw Chaos' attention away from them momentarily. The ship approached the ground, and drew dangerously close to crashing. Chaos turned and spat out several fireballs at the ship, which continued to chase the kids around left and right. Vincent leapt up into the air from where he was standing before, and by luck the ship happened to fly just low enough for Vincent to get on board.

"Could ya get any lower?" Seifer shouted at Hayner. The ship scraped it's underside across a few rocks, but overall remained largely undamaged as they continued to open fire at Chaos, damaging the great demon little by little. Vincent climbed aboard and merely grunted as he lied himself down.

"Come on! That purple ring down there doesn't look too good for Sora! We gotta go save him!" Ayumi ordered Hayner as she shook him by the shoulder.

"Okay, okay! I'm on it!" He yelled back as the gummi ship closed in on the death ring Sora and Xehanort were in.

"Open Fire!" Raijin yelled as he and Fuujin launched several laser shots from the ship's guns.

Blasts rained down upon the field where Sora and Xehanort fought. The two jumped back and ran at each other once more, blades clashing and clanging, each roaring with pure might. Every strike seemed to be parried left and right, with almost not openings to attack. Strong as he was though, Sora was the first one to start feeling fatigue. He jumped back as he tried to catch his breath.

"What's the matter? Out of steam already?" Xehanort laughed as he lifted his hand up, charging it with another dark orb. Sora shook his head as the gummi ship roared on above him. He looked up, realizing that he had to make his escape as soon as possible. Blasts rang out all around Sora and Xehanort, and the violet-flame circle vanished.

"It seems we have been interrupted. Will you cower and run once more?" Xehanort taunted Sora. He then launched his dark orb that he had been charging at the Gummi Ship.

"INCOMING!" Fuujin yelled at the crew on board. The magic attack from Xehanort zoned in on the ship and followed it up and down. Xehanort's face twisted to show a sadistic smile. Sora didn't have time to think. He jumped up with a blade charge on all three keyblades as he struck the magic attack, defending the ship from the blast. The moment the blades made contact though, the orb compacted itself and then exploded with a large burst of darkness and wind. Sora was thrown upwards into the air, and by pure luck he landed right on top of the gummi ship roof, falling unconscious and out of form. Xehanort realized that amidst the darkness his prey would run, but he smiled regardless. He knew that no matter where Sora ran to, he could easily crush what little fight remained.

Meanwhile, inside the gummi ship a large thud was heard from above. Vincent rose up, and opened the top latch, dragging Sora and Kairi by the legs inside the ship as he picked up Hayner and shoved him out of the pilot's seat.

"H-hey! You mean to tell us that you could fly a gummi ship this whole time?" Hayner asked Vincent. Vincent remained silent as the ship flew at top speed away from the area, leaving Chaos and Xehanort behind in the destruction that was once a city.

Chaos roared as he tried to give chase, but ended up being unable to find them. Xehanort instead decided to use this time to plan another raid on Sora and his friends. The world's defense and military were nothing his elites couldn't handle, and defeating the boy with the X-blade would require the job done right.

"So the coward runs again. Then cling to your life and come back to fight again, only to be beaten down!" Xehanort yelled as the dark smoke cleared and the ship vanished.

KHKHKHKH

As Vincent piloted the ship around, they received a transmission from Cid.

"Okay, we're waiting for you at Balamb Garden HQ. Hurry and get yer ass down here! Coordinates are as follows…" and a small blip with numbers appeared on screen. Vincent nodded and sped off, with no time to waste.

In the back of the ship everyone was crowded around Sora, who's armor had disengaged and was unconscious in his chair. Kairi was supporting him, but she looked worse for wear herself. She shooed the kids away, and they all took their seats quietly, Vivi, was waving around his new staff. Ayumi sighed and stared into the red orb at the top of hers.

Hayner went and sat in the cockpit with Vincent. He couldn't help but stare at the disturbed looking man before him.

"What do you want?" Vincent asked coolly, staring ahead. Hayner jumped but decided to speak.

"Who are you anyways?" he asked shakily.

"Vincent," came the blunt response. A tense silence followed.

"Wh-where are you from?"

"Here."

Hayner stared at Vincent, who said nothing, and turned to the navigation panels.

"We should be at the base in ten minutes," he said, looking over the information screens. Vincent grunted in response. Hayner was silent for the rest of the trip.

KHKHKHKH

When they made it to Balamb, everything was hectic. Wounded and dead were being unloaded and rushed to the massive hospital in the facility. Sora was put on a stretcher and rushed to the hospital, Kairi in a wheelchair, the stress from the drive affecting her as well.

The other kids were sticking close to Vincent, who was leaning against the side of the ship, watching everything warily.

There was a poof of smoke to his left, and before anyone could think, there stood Yuffie with a pistol pointed to her forehead.

"Well that's a fine hello!" she shouted indignantly. "I don't see you for eleven years and you point a gun at me? TWICE?"

Vincent sighed and holstered his weapon.

"Yuffie," he said. "I—"

He was cut off by sobbing as she embraced him, tears flying.

"Wh-when you were," she wailed. "Fighting off the heartless…. And Cid was trying to get you on that sh-ship—"

He placed his human hand on her back.

"I know Yuffie," he replied. "But I will explain everything later."

She looked up at him and nodded. She looked to the kids.

"Come on, the mess hall is down this way," she said, wiping her eyes and hiccupping. "It's hotdog day… again."

Vincent remained with the ship, waving goodbye, until he was approached by Golbez.

"So that girl Aerith saved you with her healing abilities?" the sorcerer asked. Vincent grunted in amusement.

"I remember when she was a child," he said, closing his eyes in reminiscence. "She always put band aids on everyone. Squall would be covered. Ansem the Wise always thought it was funny when I would come for my bodyguard duties with several pink band aids on my face."

Golbez chuckled at first, then laughed heartily at the story. The two then stood together for some time, making small talk.

Soon everything was set straight. SeeD had been regrouped ad reorganized and Sora and Kairi put under good medical care.

KHKHKHKH

_**Twelve hours later**_

Squall paced back and forth in the conference room of the base. It was rather spacious for being underground, and could support their military for at least a good six months if need be. Tron was actively researching any and all information he could on the situation, but somehow it just wasn't fast enough for Squall.

"How much longer do you think it will be?" Squall bugged Tron for the 18th time in the last two hours, slamming his fist on the table as he looked up at the large computer screen with anxiety.

"Please be patient. I can only do so much at once." Tron replied cooly as various windows opened and closed rapidly with information streaming faster than most people could comprehend.

Golbez hovered into the room. "The boy has finally awoken." He said. Squall nodded and left the room. Moments later his voice rang through the PA system.

"Attention. Sora, Kairi, Ayumi, and all Committee members are to report to the Confrence Hall as soon as possible. Members of SeeD are to wait on standby and recover as much as possible. You kids that came with Sora should stay with SeeD. Over."

Sora sat up in his hospital bed. Every inch of him racked in immense pain, but he did his best to move through it. He turned over to see Kairi already up, looking in the opposite direction.

"You okay?" Sora asked. Kairi turned over to Sora and smiled as she walked over to him and hugged him tightly.

"Yeah." She replied. Ayumi walked in to see the two in a tight embrace, and felt awkward immediately.

"Umm…They called us up a while ago. Come on, let's go." Ayumi spoke rather fast, as though she wanted to be out of the room that instant. With that, she left before either Sora or Kairi could reply. The two let go of each other and Kairi helped Sora up. Sora reached into his pocket and pulled out his eyepatch, quickly putting it on.

"I'm not totally sure where to go…let's hope we end up in the right place." He said, laughing as he walked with Kairi, albeit rather slowly. Ayumi was waiting just outside of the room for them and led them to the Confrence Hall, where the members of the committee were seated at a rather long table and a projector in the center. Golbez stood in the corner, as though watching over everyone in the room like an outsider.

"Hey there sleepyheads, take a seat." Tifa said as she waved to Sora with three open seats next to her. Kairi nodded and helped Sora get to his chair, Ayumi following them from a bit of a distance.

Squall broke the silence that followed.

(Recommended song: SeeD – Final Fantasy VIII)

"Everyone, I called you here as early as possible to go over what just happened. Our town was attacked and destroyed today by a being known as Chaos. Several dark keyblade wielders appeared and ravaged our homeworld. Right now we are in tactical retreat, as we come up with a new plan of action." Squall spoke as though he were reading a script.

"So what do we know about the enemy?" Warrior of Light asked. Aerith shook her head.

"Let's wait on that. First I want to ask…" She turned to face Sora and Kairi. "Do you two feel okay? Can you take in all of this information? Or do you two need more rest first?"

"Nah, I'm okay. I do want to ask how long I was out for though." Sora replied. Kairi nodded.

"It's been twelve hours." Vincent said. "I should know. I had to fly you here."

"I see…sorry for the trouble." Sora looked down apologetically.

"Now that that's over, can we get back on track?" Cloud asked, sounding rather irritated. He glared in between Golbez and Vincent. "Like who the hell are these two? Wasn't one of them with the enemy?"

Golbez said nothing, but everyone in the room could feel his energy spike, and sparks of dark electricity flashed around his armor. Cloud and Warrior of Light both put their hands on the hilts of their swords.

"Knock it off!" Sora scolded the three of them. "Golbez is alright, I can vouch for him. I don't know about uhh—"

"Vincent," muttered the dark man.

Squall squinted at Vincent and his eyes went wide.

"N-no!" he gasped.

Vincent nodded at him.

"Yes, it's me," he said. "Squall."

"But how?"

"I don't understand," said Sora, looking in between them. "How do you guys all know eachother?"

Vincent sighed and began to speak.

"Fifteen years ago I was assigned bodyguard to Ansem the Wise, in order to fund the orphanage that Squall, and the others were living in, as it was run by my wife Lucrecia. It was easy work, since the city was peaceful and prosperous, and since I was known as the most skilled member of the royal guard, I was given the promotion. We raised the children like they were our own. Then Xehanort happened, and the Heartless attacked. I alone knew of their treachery. They tried to silence me. I fought back, but they were too much. I had to flee to the orphanage. I was able to fight off the heartless long enough to get them to our resident pilot Cid, and get them to safety. I was forced to watch as those creatures took Lucrecia. Just as I had given up all hope, they appeared before me. The Lucid Key Elite. They… killed me… and then turned me into their weapon. They put monsters inside of me…."

Everyone listened quietly as he struggled. He took a shaky breath and looked at them, resolve in his eyes.

"I know their plans. Where they are going, what they are doing, who they are doing it with. I'll share what I know with you here."

Squall nodded.

"We will get to that once we are done discussing what we are going to do about our demon problem."

Genesis ran his hand through his hair as he whipped out his book. "I'm sure you all remember the tale of the legendary "Three"…no?" He said with a rather smug tone.

"Yeah. We do remember. How they were once the greatest heroes that lived on our world. Unfortunately…every single one of them deserted us. Each for unknown reasons." Squall lamented on his words as he spoke. The projector activated, and Tron's head appeared.

"Tron!" Sora exclaimed with excitement. Tron smiled.

"Long time no see, Sora. We'll have to catch up later, right now I have to debrief everyone." He said. Sora nodded.

"Okay everyone, the data I've managed to dig up reads as follows…The Legendary Three were once revered heroes of Radient Garden. However, prior to the attack by Malificent they all vanished. Throughout the time that has elapsed since then, only Sephiroth has made any appearances. He was hunting down Cloud for some reason, which at this point only he could tell. Gabranth was once a High-ranking officer of Radient Garden's previous military force, owned by ENCOM. Incidentally, Sephiroth was also a warrior from the previous military, from the branch called SOLDIER. Garland on the other hand is a special case. He was second-in-command of the entire army, until he himself defected and turned traitorous. At the time, only Warrior of Light stood against him. He was corrupted by the darkness, and vanished." Tron reported.

"That's great an' all, but what does yer data say 'bout the overgrown bull that trampled all over our town?" Cid asked. He was obviously referring to Chaos.

"Well, there seems to be more. There's an old legend here that talks about a great demon once razing the world, calling itself Chaos. It was born from a once-revered knight, and it became the bane of all mortal existence." Tron continued.

"Then how was it stopped back then?" Merlin thought out loud.

"Four Warriors rose up to defeat Chaos, and the great monster fell." Tron answered.

"Anything else?" Yuffie questioned Tron, trying to probe as much information as she could.

"Yes. The Knight's name is also present here in the record." Tron said.

"What was it?" Ayumi asked.

Tron paused for a second.

"Garland." Tron finally said. The entire room gasped.

"What does this mean then?" Sora asked.

"How can his name be present in something that happened so long ago?" Tifa continued Sora's train of thought.

Tron continued his report. "It seems as though from the times in the past, Chaos needed to be defeated three times before finally being killed off. In addition, it seems as though Garland himself was sent back in time, and had become Chaos. How exactly he became Chaos is unclear, but legend tells that he was summoned by Chaos to battle the warriors of Cosmos."

Genesis held up his hand as he read a passage from his book. "When the war of the beasts bring about the world's end, the Goddess descends from the sky. Wings of light and dark spread afar, she guides us to bliss…her gift, everlasting." He finished the line with a smile on his face.

"Your point?" Warrior of Light glared at Genesis. Genesis snapped his book shut and leaned inward on the table.

"It means…Our friend Garland was summoned here to do battle with us by Chaos, along with Sephiroth and Gabranth. On the other hand, we represent the will of the Goddess of this world. In essence, we are the warriors of this planet, destined to salvage it from the forces of Chaos." He smiled with a disgusting smirk on his face.

Squall stood up and spoke with a commanding tone. "Whether or not your theory is correct, the fact of the matter is that there is a great enemy before us with extreme power. At our current strength it will be hard to take him on even one round, much less three. We'll have to pull out all the stops to take this threat on. Chaos aside, there's still a small force of incredibly powerful dark keybladers."

Kairi looked worried. Not only was the threat of a supposed god looming over them, they also had Xehanort and his army to deal with as well. Ayumi herself looked like she might start to cry from the overwhelming wartime situation. Sora put his hand on her shoulder and gave her a reassuring smile with a thumbs up.

"Don't worry, no matter what happens I'll protect you all with my life." He said. He then turned to Kairi and looked right into her eyes.

"No matter what…" Kairi repeated, smiling.

"Well, let's not waste any more time! We gotta get to planning the counterattack!" Yuffie shouted. The Confrence Hall got rather loud for a second, as a resounding "Yeah!" came from everyone in the room, save for Squall, Cloud, Golbez, and Vincent.

KHKHKHKHKH

Seifer was pacing back and forth in the hallway, with Raijin and Fuujin nearby him, pacing as well. The other Twilight Town kids had gone off to the mess hall, but Seifer deemed going there to be "too troublesome".

"How much longer are we gonna have to sit and wait? It's been an hour already!" He complained, kicking at the wall. The two behind him said nothing to their boss, for fear of upsetting him further.

Then a bell rang, and Squall's voice rang through the intercom.

"Attention all personnel. We are currently in a state of war with a dark keyblader organization and a fabled demon god thing. At this time I'd like to request all of your cooperation and strength. Many will fall, but I hope that all of you can find the courage to stand tall with us. We'll need as much manpower as we can get. We are currently planning out our counterattack, so please use this time to prepare yourselves for the fight. Everyone is to report to the ship hangar in approximately two hours. Keep up the good work, and I look forward to the looks on our enemies' faces after we retaliate."

Seifer finally looked up with a face of excitement. "About time." He said.

KHKHKHKHKH

Cauldishek and the Elites were lined up on the bridge of the Mothership, all of them silent except for Kigara who was biting his thumb and giggling to himself like a madman, the burn over his eye now a crimson scar. He fell silent when the heavy footsteps of Master Xehanort came through the door. Xehanort's face showed no emotion as he stood before them.

"You have failed me," he said quietly. "You let the experiment called Valentine escape, and with him precious and valuable information regarding our plans. You were unable to kill a single one of their leaders. Even I was outmatched by Sora. This error will not be forgiven. You will not be partaking in this invasion any further. Go to your assigned worlds, and take your forces with you. Make contact with our allies. Now get out of my sight."

The Eltes said nothing as they filed out of the room, fuming or disgusted with themselves.

"Kigara, you stay," said Xehanort. The young man stopped and did not turn to face his master. "I have a special assignment for you…"

Little did they know, Tron was listening to their conversation in the form of a bug placed in their communication systems via a computer virus made with the combined efforts of Merlin's magic and Cid's computer genius.

KHKHKHKH

**(Recommended songs: No Sacrifice, No Victory – Transformers: The Score , GelimerLab - Verne Mine – Maplestory, Marching Tune #0 – Dirge of Cerberus, Marching Tune – Dirge of Cerberus [yes the last two are two separate tracks]**

The twilight town kids along with Seifer's disciplinary committee were lined up in their own row among all of the SeeD members who had gathered, all of whom stood at attention.

Squall paced back and forth for a few minutes, finally stopping when he'd once again reached the center. Around him to add to his image as commander were the several drop ships that littered the hangar. Weapons were lined all around the hangar, and various ships looked ready to take off at any point.

"Today we are going to put an end to those who would trample over our world as though it were nothing! It will take all of us, so everyone is to do their best. Understood?" Squall said.

"Yes Sir!" The army replied in unison.

"As of now, we are in a bad situation, so it's up to us to make it through this together! We will begin a combined assault on the beast known as Chaos, and the forces of the Lucid Key Elite. Our drop ships will then move in and unload troops who will be holding off the Heartbourne Leigions. Warrior of Light, Cloud Strife, Keyblade Master Sora, Vincent Valentine, Golbez and I will be fighting the creature together! Our ground troops will be led by the rest of the committee save for Cid Highwind who will be engaging the enemy fleet in aerial combat. It has been confirmed that the Elite themselves have fallen back and will most likely not be joining the battle due to complications with their own forces. They believe we are divided and scattered, and their forces are being cut in half. What they don't know is that we are returning, even stronger than before. Commander Highwind would like to leave us with a few words of his own."

"Now listen up, cuz I'm only gonna say this once!" Cid started walked in from behind Squall and spoke loudly, spear on his shoulder and cigarette blazing.

"Our enemy out there wants you dead. They don't need any reason, they just do it because they can. That's the nature of our enemy." He paused. "We've lost plenty of good men out there today. If any more of you are killed by those punks I'll drag you back from Hell and kill ya again! You wanna try to piss of those S.O.B.'s then how about you try staying alive? It's all about survival. If you live, everyone behind you lives. If you die, then they die. Now let's go kick some demon god ass!" Cid raised his fist in the air. The legion of SeeD roared in excitement and high spirit.

Squall stepped forward once more.

"Everyone, take your ships! Each one of you will have one commander guiding your squads! Follow their orders and fight the good fight!" He shouted. SeeD roared once more in applause and valor as they split up into several drop ships.

The committee members also split up, Vincent and Golbez both headed for Sora's gummi ship. Sora waved to Seifer and Hayner to tell everyone to follow him as he and Kairi took off to the ship. As they got in, Sora pulled out a small chip given to him by Cid and inserted it into the Gummi's computer. By the time everyone got in, the Gummi ship was fired up and ready to take off.

The Twilight Town gang looked very nervous being seated in between Golbez and Vincent, both who remained silent. Seifer and his crew, along with Ayumi and Kairi snickered at the uncomfortable looks on their faces.

"I'm glad to be joining you on your quest from this point on Sora. It's great that I can help the Users once more." Tron's voice came from the computer.

"You're always welcome to be with us, Tron." Sora replied as everyone finished putting their seatbelts on. He popped a small potion open and drank the contents, and came back at full strength.

"All right guys, let's go!" Sora yelled as the Ship took off from the hangar, ready to join the fight once more.

The ships all took formation, an armada of gun ships with the Highwind and the gummi ship leading the pack.

"GO!" shouted Cid over the intercom, as all ships fired up their rockets and sped towards Radiant Garden at full speed.


	15. Chapter 14: Blazing Glory

**And so we weave the final chapter of the Radiant Garden Arc**

**Then the real journey begins**

**Who will we meet? Where will we go?**

**Will me make friends? Enemies? **

**Will we be reunited with those we care about?**

**Or will the darkness swallow them up?**

**I don't know what will happen, but when it does I will be prepared. **

**With my friends by my side**

**And their love in my heart**

**I will triumph**

**I will****…**

**(Reccomended Music- Emiya: Guitar Verson by Crow's Claw)**

"_**GOOOOOOO!" **_shouted Sora, as the first wave hit. A stream of gummy fighters darted in between the Radiant Garden armada ships, laser fire and explosions filling the morning sky.

**Kingdom Hearts**

**Shattered Unity**

**Chapter 14**

**Blazing Glory**

Sora's ship flew alongside the far lager Highwind, acting as its escort as both ships blew away oncoming fighters and weaving through enemy fire. Ships on both sides went up in flames as they battled for control of the sky. Sora looked in the rear viewscreen as he saw the sun rise over the horizon.

"_Hell yeah!" _Cid shouted over the intercom. _"Sun's at our backs and in their faces.__ That's a good omen if I ever saw one!"_The other ships responded with a resounding cheer as they continued flying onward to assault Chaos. Off in the distance, Xehanort watched as ships came flying onward at Chaos. Chaos roared atop the tower of rubble that was once a city, though the castle remained untouched. He'd gone and fashioned himself a throne from the cliffs around the city, and continued to wait there for the oncoming assault. Many heartbourne rose up to challenge the airships, although the sun was starting to hinder their fighting ability. The air raid came in a massive sweeping formation as lasers, bombs, and death rained from the sky. Meanwhile, several drop ships landed behind the line of fire to drop off ground troops.

Chaos grinned as the battle started to unfold.

"**A simultaneous attack from land and air. They're finally getting serious."** He chuckled to himself.

The members of SeeD roared as they charged at the mass of heartbourne before them, clashing blades. Sora's ship continued flying past the mess to reach Chaos directly, as did the rest of the committee leaders' airships.

KHKHKHKHKHKHKH

Back at Balamb Garden HQ–

"Dash it all, that's the last time I take a bathroom break during preparations."

Merlin stumbled out over his robes mumbling to himself about being left behind. As he walked around he found one member of SeeD still in the mess hall. The boy had a large spike in his blonde hair and a black tattoo on his face.

"What in blazes are you still doing here Zell?" Merlin asked as the man kept stuffing his face with hot dogs.

"It's hot dog night, why wouldn't I be here?" Zell replied. He went back to eating rapidly as the mountain of hot dogs slowly seemed to shrink. Merlin sighed.

"With you, it's ALWAYS hot dog night." Merlin face palmed and shook his head as he waved his wand, teleporting the two to the battlefield.

KHKHKHKHKHKHKH

Sora landed the gummi ship just at the foot of Chaos' massive altar. He and Kairi stepped out, facing Chaos. Mokona crawled out of Sora's jacket, nuzzling against his cheek and shivering in fear.

"Mokona, where have you been?" Sora asked the small creature.

"Sleeping in your pocket!" Mokona said. "Did you forget about me?"

"N-no!"

Vincent and Golbez lined up next to Sora, both pulsating with darkness that even the dark realm wouldn't dare try to control. He waved the ship off and Tron took control as the kids inside took battle positions. Explosions crashed in the distance as the fighting started to begin. Off in the distance, Cid's airship fired a massive laser down, blasting several heartbourne sky high. A smaller airship caught fire , and its crew all jumped to attempt to survive before it exploded. The ship blew up moments later, and it's captain was sent flying toward the altar. Yuffie crashed down next to Sora and Vincent almost face first, but she braced herself last-minute with her arm guards.

"THIS IS WHY I HATE FLYING!" She screamed as she landed next to the party. Vincent lifted his arms to catch her, but her momentum knocked him down like a sack of potatoes. Kairi helped Yuffie up and off of Vincent.

"You okay there?" she asked. Vincent brought himself up and brushed off the dust on his cloak. Yuffie shook her arms to help recover from the shock.

"Y-yeah. Thanks." Yuffie replied. She then looked Vincent in the eyes, blushing at how he saved her.

The gaze seemed to last for a minute, when the sound of a motorcycle broke the silence. Everyone turned to see Cloud and Tifa arrive on his motorcycle.

"We're here. We'll take on Chaos along with you." Cloud said as the two dismounted the bike. Sora nodded.

"Glad to have you here." He said. He took Kairi's hand and looked at her with a look of determination. He was going to keep her safe. A black feather fell from the sky, and a voice from above commented as though he was reading Sora's mind.

"Very good Sora, but can you keep your promise? I suppose we'll see soon enough." Genesis laughed as he descended down to the group. As he landed, Squall and Warrior of Light came up running.

"Looks like we made it to the party in time, huh?" Squall said jokingly as they formed their massive party. Slowly, one by one they made their way up the altar to have a showdown with Chaos.

"Is it okay to leave all the soldiers out there without a commander?" Golbez asked Squall as they walked up.

"It'll be fine. Cid's off giving the orders today." He replied.

KHKHKHKHKH

On Cid's airship, Merlin and Zell appeared right next to Cid. They poofed in with a loud cracking noise, startling the ship's captain, causing him to jerk the helm to the right and swipe a passing Heartbourne fighter, causing it to go up in flames.

"What in the hell do you think you're doing?" Cid yelled at the two. Merlin didn't appreciate Cid's attitude, and flailed about.

"It's your fault for leaving us behind!" Merlin shouted back, turning Cid's chair into a goat out of anger.

"You could have just left me you know, I was fine with eating the hot dogs." Zell piped in. The two old men turned to Zell, only more pissed, and Zell just made himself an open target for their bickering. Before he knew it, Zell found himself falling from the ship, as Cid grabbed him and threw him off faster than he could say sorry. As Zell flew downward to the battlefield, he spotted a large mass of darkness and figured he might as well make a grandstanding entrance. He quickly positioned himself to land down on the heartbourne group, breaking his fall and taking out a pile of enemies at once.

"YEAH!" Zell screamed as he shot downward and landed right down on top of the enemies, stunning the other SeeD members near him.

"Zell?" The captain of the group shouted. "Why the hell did you break ranks?"

"Dude, I was eating hotdogs. Can't keep me from 'em." Zell laughed as he stood up. He put on his gloves and immediately rushed an enemy in front of them, shouting and cheering the entire time.

"Booyah!" He shouted.

KHKHKHKHKHKHKHKH

In the meantime, the climb up the altar of Chaos was progressing slowly. The pile of debris and rubble that served as a throne and small walking area atop it was actually rather high up in the air. Chaos quietly observed his challengers as they came up to meet him.

"**So,"** he rumbled. **"You have come to face me at last."**

He stood from his massive throne and in a burst of crimson flames he shrank, standing at nine feet tall, his wings folded like a cloak.

"Kairi!" whispered Sora.

"Right!" she whispered back. They joined hands and in a burst of light they once again took Final Dawn form. Sora gasped and clutched at his chest.

"Sora!" cried Tifa, grabbing his arm.

"I'm fine," he said, standing straight. Chaos looked at him and chuckled.

"**Silly boy, if you rely so heavily on a crutch like transformations, how will you ever hope to become stronger?"**

Sora merely stared in the eyes of the beast as he took his ready stance, the others following suit. Mokona gasped, his hair standing on end and retreated inside of Sora's jacket.

"**So be it," **chaos said coldly. **"HAVE AT YOU!"**

**(Recommended songs: Chaos the Last battle or Bleeding Eyes by Masterplan)**

Sora Cloud and Warrior of Light warped in front of Chaos and swung at different angles, but were shocked to feel metal against their blades. Chaos' permanent grin flashed as a massive broadsword constructed of hellish red steel appeared in each of his four hands.

Chaos did not have speed. He _was_ speed. They could barely keep up with him, as he blurred in and out of sight deflecting their strikes with ease and keeping them on the defensive.

Tifa appeared in front of them and ducked in between two of Chaos' blades, launching a kick at his side, but his long tail grabbed hold of her ankle and threw her into the throne, the loud impact overtaking her cry of pain.

"Tifa!" shouted Cloud, about to rush to her aid when a massive blade demolished the ground before him, Chaos about to attack, but the beast was cut off by gunshots from Vincent and fire spells from Sqall. Golbez's Attack System nodes began battering Chaos with red plasma beams. Chaos countered with a shout of **"Condemn!"** as flaming pillars cut off their attacks and he vanished into the flames, reappearing behind Golbez, intent on cleaving the warlock in two. The blade was parried by both Genesis and Sora, their combined strength just enough to contain the beasts strength.

Warrior of Light unleashed a torrent of Holy spells at Chaos from above, but most were deflected by Chaos' mighty sword. Yuffie leapt high above Chaos and threw her shuriken with a cry. Chaos moved out of the way just in time and it struck the ground. Sora and Warrior of Light both struck the shuriken with light spells, causing it to flash brightly, blinding Chaos. Chaos roared in pain as he stumbled back.

Tifa ran in from behind and leapt, planting her foot into Chaos' back, surprising him. Vincent then took the form of Galian Beast and planted a massive fist full of Hellfire into Chaos' face. Chaos grabbed Vincent, regaining his sight and drove him into the ground with enough force to make the entire structure to collapse on itself. The warriors all fell back, leaping off the structure as Vincent was driven further down.

Sora, using the fact that he was merely an eighth of Chaos' size then warped underneath Chaos and drove his shoulder into the beast, flying upwards and driving Chaos off of Vincent, the gunman returning to his human form and staggering from the rubble. Chaos extended his wings, stopping his ascent and he and Sora parted, Sora using his Glide ability to keep him aloft. Sora called upon Kairi's light and the two went into a blur, trading strikes at incredible speeds, though Sora was far slower than he had been previously, unable to find an opening, they pushed off and drifted through the air across from each other.

"**Now you see why you must rely on your own heart to give you strength," **Chaos rumbled. **"For relying on the strength of others will degrade your own heart."**

Sora stopped for a moment, letting Chaos' words sink in.

"Why tell your enemy his own weakness?" he demanded.

"**Because," **Chaos grinned. **"I would not want to live as a puppet to that man. Better to be defeated by his rival then be his slave for eternity."**

Sora gaped in shock.

"You… _want_ me to win?"

Chaos frowned.

"**Do not push your luck. I cannot hold back as my will is not my own. But as a Summon I am a slave. Now save me from this torment and STRIKE ME DOOOOWN!"**

Sora and Chaos returned to their battle, flashes of light and bursts of flame filling the sky, until X-blade met Chaos' blades and the two rocketed downwards, the impact with the ground causing Sora's allies to be launched back. Sora and Chaos stood across from each other, then Warrior of Light and Genesis warped in from the sides, unleashing a torrent of spells down on Chaos who vanished and reappeared above them to strike them down. Golbez warped in front of Chaos and placing powerful force spells into his palms blocked the blades, and the two's faces were mere inches from each other. Golbez was no match and his spells broke, causing the flat sides of Chaos' blades to slam into Golbez' helmet, the black metal shattering revealing half of the warlock's face, long silver hair flowing out.

Tifa and Yuffie then came in from Chaos' left and planted their feet into his side, pushing him off of Golbez. Cloud then used his Climbhazzard to strike Chaos in the stomach from below, the demon god coughing up blood.

Chaos rolled to the side, backhanding Cloud, sending the blonde into the Warrior of Light, the two impacting with a loud crunch of metal on metal. Warrior of Light pushed Cloud off of him and wiped the blood from his chin. Cloud groaned, reeling from the force of Chaos' strike, staggering to his feet.

Genesis ran in to cover for Cloud but his sword strike was blocked and Chaos punched him in the chest, sending him into a nearby wall.

Chaos landed on the ground, slamming two of his swords into the ground and crossing his bottom arms, holding the top two aloft.

Sora wiped some sweat from his brow, panting heavily. A ghostly image of Kairi appeared next to him.

"_How long can we keep this up?" _she asked.

"As long as we need to," he said shakily.

"_I can tell how much pain you are in Sora! If we don't separate soon you could turn into a Heartless!"_

"I'll risk it!" and with a cry he charged at Chaos, who brought his blades down, Sora ducking in between them and aiming a strike at Chaos' neck. Chaos avoided it and spun around, punching Sora in the jaw with a free hand, sending Sora into the dirt, rolling, bleeding heavily.

"Big bully!" Yuffie tried to kick Chaos but was only met with an immense fist around her throat. She flailed her legs wildly, gasping for air, but Golbez appeared from behind Chaos and tackled the beast, blood showing from a cut under his eye. Chaos growled in irritation as he dropped Yuffie, who was caught by Vincent. Vincent ran into cover with an injured Cloud.

Chaos was about to attack Golbez but Squall slashed him across his back, his gunblade blazing with blue fire, making Chaos roar with fury, turning his attention on the warrior.

"What do we do, he's just too damn strong," Cloud groaned, gripping his side. Tifa came up to them and lifted Cloud's shirt, pouring an elixir over the gash in his side.

"We need to keep fighting, or this will never end!" groaned Warrior of Light, standing on one knee and looking over the rocks to where Squall and Golbez were fending off Chaos, and he saw Sora staggering to his feet, supported by the X-blade.

Chaos punched Squall in the chest, sending him flying away and brought his foot down on Golbez, then turned his attention on Sora.

"**You are wielder of the X-blade, most powerful weapon in the known universe! Yet you cannot use it to its full potential? Pathetic. You and your friends will die here today!"**

Kairi's ghostly form appeared next to Sora, squatting down next to him.

"_Come on Sora! You can do it!"_

Sora tried to stand but fell to his knees, and Chaos towered above him, his blades gripped tightly in his claws. Sora looked to the ground and closed his eyes tightly.

"I'm sorry Kairi…."

Chaos lifted his bladed and brought them down, red flashes in the wind.

_**THOOOOOOOM!**_

There was a loud sound like thunder as the blades struck, a huge cloud of dust covering the area, the ground shaking. In between them stood Warrior of Light, Genesis, Cloud, and Squall, their swords blocking Chaos', their bloodied and beaten forms standing strong. Chaos growled and pushed down on his swords.

"D-don't give up yet!" groaned Squall.

"We need you to finish this war!" said Cloud.

Sora felt an arm under his shoulder as Vincent pulled him to his feet.

"You are too important for us to just let you die," the cloaked man said.

Golbez pulled off the remains of his helmet, revealing a handsome face, though visibly old, with shadows cast over his eyes.

"You are our friend," he said.

"Our friend!" said Yuffie and Tifa together, standing in front of Sora and Vincent protectively.

"Even if we've just met," Said Genesis, fighting against Chaos' might.

"Our bonds as battle comrades will remain forever!" shouted Warrior of Light.

All of them began to glow faintly.

"TOGETHER WE ARE STRONG!"

They shouted, staring into Chaos' eyes.

Tears began to stream down Sora's face.

"You guys…." And he began to glow as well.

"Just remember that if things get dark," said Vincent, glaring at the god.

"_Our light will always be there to guide you!"_ said Kairi from inside his heart.

Sora's body flashed brilliantly, their light fueling him and he stood up, his strength returning.

"My friends are my power!" he roared, flying at Chaos as his friends broke off their struggle. Chaos was taken by surprise as he felt the X-blade clash with his swords, and for the first time, his strength failed him and he fell back.

**KHKHKHKH**

Kigara looked from atop a ruined building nearby, leaning on his rider, watching the battle progress.

"So this is the power of friendship," he muttered to himself, flipping his summon card in his hand. "Stupid… like the Elite would ever stoop to such coward tactics… keheheheheheeeee…."

"But in your heart you lament," said Master Xehanort, coming up from behind him through a corridor of darkness. Kigara glared at him darkly.

"No need to be sour. I can tell your thoughts by looking into your heart. Do not let your wants block you from your mission."

"Yes Master," said Kigara. "Hunt Sora down after he escapes and kill him. But how do you know he will escape? Why not kill him now?"

"Because," muttered Xehanort, mostly to himself. "If he survives this battle, as I am confident he will, he will become an even larger thorn in my side. He does not deserve death in battle with a True Master. He has not yet fought me on his own without outside help. If he can achieve that, then he will deserve death by my hand."

"So you want me to get him while he's alone and corner him."

"Preferably. If you can achieve that then you will be named Master alongside me."

"What of the others? Master Cauldishek and his lackeys?"

"You will be a Master. Do as you see fit."

Kigara grinned maliciously and cackled.

"But it seems I underestimated the might of this city and its people," muttered Xehanort, looking up to see his Heartbourne and fighters diminishing quickly.

"Ohohohohoooo, its always the newer generations that have the freshest spirit!" cackled Kefka from atop a pile of rubble, having just appeared in a puff of smoke and confetti. Xehanort didn't look at him, but his face showed displeasure at the clown's presence.

"So," said Kefka, running a finger up the arm of Xehanort's coat. "When do I get paid?"

Xehanort glared at him, his killing intent causing Kefka to shudder and take a few steps back.

"When you have brought me what I asked for," he grumbled in response.

"Which was what again?"

Xehanort reeled on the clown and grabbed him by the throat.

"The Sacred Tome you _idiot_!" he shouted. "The one located in the Netherworld Library! Find it!"

He threw Kefka to the ground, who was choking heavily.

"But its scaaaryyy in there! There are lots of demon thingies won't let me anywhere near that book!"

"**JUST DO IT!"** roared Xehanort, his dark aura exploding over his body. Kefka screamed and ran away. He then shot a look at Kigara. "And wipe that smirk off your face."

Kigara chuckled as Xehanort stepped through another corridor of darkness.

**KHKHKHKH**

Chaos recovered from the strike and tried to counter, Sora's speed was too much. Sora then flipped forward and ran across the blade aiming to decapitate Chaos, but the god warped out of the way and dropped his sword, grabbing Sora by the throat.

"**All of you are pathetic,"** he rumbled. **"Die by the hand of a true god!"**

Just before he could crush Sora he suddenly lurched forward. Looking down he saw a large hole in his stomach, a massive white fist emerging from the hole. Turning around he saw that Vincent had transformed into a white skinned, hulking beast that looked stitched together from other human parts, two bolts sticking out from his neck. Sora quickly took advantage and kicked Chaos in the face, knocking the beast back and forcing his grip off of Sora's neck.

"Now!" shouted Sora. Everyone surrounded Chaos and began battering him with powerful attacks.

"GENESIS ROCK!"

"BLADE BEAM!"

"ALL CREATION!"

"LION HEART!"

"LIVE WIRE!"

"FINAL HEAVEN!"

"APOCALYPSE!"

"SHINING WAVE!"

And as they all unleashed their fury unto the god, Sora stood apart from the rest, summoning forth two Ultima Keyblades, pointing the X-blade at Chaos' pained face as his two other weapons circled it, light and energy crackling at the tips. And a brilliant ray of light launched from the keyblades, overtaking Chaos, the force of the beam slamming his jaw shut, shattering his fangs until he gathered the energy to scream in pain before fading into darkness.

Sora dropped the X-blade, the Ultimas vanishing, his clothes returning to normal and his eye fading back into its brilliant golden color, and Kairi appeared next to him, the two falling to the ground.

Warrior of Light threw off his helmet and laughed.

"We did it!" he cried to his fellows. "Light has prevailed this day!"

"What about Cid and the others?" said Tifa, supported by Cloud's shoulder.

"Perhaps that will answer you," rumbled Golbez, pointing down towards the main battle field. The soldiers all celebrating their victory, the remaining enemy forces retreating, the sky becoming clearer as the two fleets separated, Radiant Garden winning the day.

Sora and Kairi sat up and smiled at each other as they heard the cheers from the people. Then everyone tensed, looking back at the spot where Chaos had been vaporized, and there stood the legendary three, all of them covered in a seeping darkness, their eyes glazed. Sora grabbed the X-blade and stumbled to his feet, everyone grabbing weapons and taking defensive stances, knowing they were too weak to fight to their full capabilities. Sephiroth raised his Masamune but dropped it, collapsing into the dirt. Garland followed suit and Gabranth soon after, the three of them fading into darkness.

KHKHKHKH

_**The Next Day**_

Sora and Zell sat facing each other, scowling deeply. Zell's hand clenched under the table they sat at, a small group of SeeDs watching as the two were engaged in a battle of wits the likes of which had never been seen before. Golbez in particular stood over the crowd, his helmet having been repaired, his massive form intimidating some of the newer recruits.

Sora's uncovered eye flashed for a second before he threw a card down in the middle of the table.

"My Marlboro will take your bomb and your behemoth, and with that move, I win!" he shouted, the lengthy game of Triple Triad ending in one final move. Zell's face showed his shock and anger at the fact that he had lost so easily.

"You're strategy was sound Sora," said Golbez as he and Sora walked away after apologizing to Squall for humiliating him. "But not perfect. Part of the path of a Keyblade Master is to lead, and have a superior eye for logic and planning, not simply rushing into battle and acting on instinct and pure luck."

After the battle, the forces of SeeD and its allies had regrouped. Squall had issued an order of evacuation and everyone was preparing for the final push to escape their world. Kairi was with Cloud and Vincent, visiting her home in the old castle. She had mentioned that she wanted to see where she had been raised by her grandma. Sora had not gone because she said it was something she had to do alone.

"I know," Said Sora, Mokona crawling out of his jacket and yawning, resting on his shoulder and nuzzling his cheek. "But sometimes even the best strategy can be derailed by an unknown force."

The two stopped at the entrance to the Gummi Hangar and turned to face each other. Golbez put a gauntleted hand on the boy's shoulder and Sora could feel the almost caring gaze from beneath the helm.

"I suppose this is where we say goodbye," the sorcerer commented sadly.

"Goodbye?" Sora asked, cocking his head to the side.

"The Council has ordered a worldwide evacuation while the enemy remains weak. Everyone is going to Disney Castle, as that may be the only place the enemy can't attack."

"Yeah, he mentioned something about Disney Town earlier. But why can't you come with us?"

"Squall has requested that I help guide their armada to Disney Castle. I won't be able to help you for some time."

"That's a bummer…" Sora replied, disappointed that he wouldn't have all of his friends by his side.

"Sora!" he heard the shout from Kairi and turned to see her running towards him from down the hall.

"Hey Kai," he said, stroking Mokona's fur. "What's up?"

"Squall wants you in the hangar. He said it's important!"

"Alright, let's go," he said, jogging down the hall at a reasonable pace, Kairi right behind him. "How's the ship?"

"Hayner said its ready to go whenever you are. Vincent and Yuffie are coming with us, they said they want to go to The World that Never Was, but wouldn't tell me why."

Sora raised an eyebrow at that.

"Maybe they want to investigate the dark realm… Which isn't a bad idea…." He muttered to himself, seeming to go into deep thought.

"Sora?" Kairi ran up next to him. He looked up at her, Mokona bouncing on his shoulder, squeaking happily.

"I just had a thought, I'll tell you later."

They ran into the hangar where most of SeeD was making preparations to leave. Cid and Squall approached them.

"Hey guys, how's it going?"

"We wanted you to make a speech," said Squall simply.

"A w-what?" Sora took a step back in shock.

"Well seeing as you are the only GOOD Keyblade Master in the whole damn world we thought it would be appropriate for you to inspire the troops!" said Cid, slapping him on the back cheerily, Mokona running off of Sora and onto the old pilot as he pushed Sora towards a pile of crates outside.

"B-but I've never—"

"Get used to it kid, you are the one these folks look up to," said Cid, picking Sora up and standing him on the crates. He put his fingers in his mouth and whistled as loudly as he could, gaining everyone's attention. He pulled a wireless intercom microphone from his belt and shouted into it loudly, his voice blaring over all the speakers in the city.

"**ALRIGHT MAGGOTS, KEYBLADE MASTER SORA HAS A FEW WORDS TO SHARE WITH YOU PUNKS!"**

Off in the distance, resting against his Rider, Kigara looked up and towards the SeeD base.

Cid shoved the mic into Sora's hand, the young Master standing silently for a bit, gulping audibly, before raising the mic up and opening his mouth, but he froze with a quiet "ummmm".

Everyone was staring at him expectantly, and Sora took a deep breath before taking on a look of determination and pointing towards the sky.

**(Recommended song: With Your XXX Pierce the Heavens! By Taku Iwasaki- Gurren Lagann OST)**

"**THE SKY!" **He shouted. **"IT'S THE PATH TO OTHER WORLDS, OTHER CIVILIZATIONS, NEW FRIENDS, ALLIES AND THE VERY FUTURE WE STAND FOR. WITH EACH STEP WE TAKE WE COME CLOSER TO DISCOVERING NEW THINGS, NEW PLACES, AND NEW FRIENDS. **

**AS LONG AS THERE IS A LIGHT IN OUR HEARTS THERE IS A HOPE FOR TOMORROW. NO MATTER WHAT SHADOW CLOUDS OUR VISION WE MUST KEEP MOVING, OTHERWISE IT WILL JUST OVERTAKE US. THIS IS YOUR HOME!**

**THERE ARE THOSE WHO WOULD CAST A MIST BEFORE US, IMPEDING OUR PROGRESS AND MAKING US VULNERABLE TO THOSE WHO WOULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR BLINDNESS! WELL I SAY WE CUT THROUGH THE MIST AND ANYONE LURKING INSIDE IT! I SAY WE BANISH THOSE WHO WOULD IMPEDE US! NOW LET US SHINE THE LIGHT OF RADIANT GARDEN UPON THE STARS!"**

Sora was about to jump down when he suddenly felt small hands on him, shoving him off the box, something speeding past his head, grazing off a few hairs with the sound of a blade cutting the air. When he hit the ground everyone was panicking and next to him was Kairi holding her shoulder, grimacing in pain.

From across the land they were on, miles away, Kigara had his Keyblade at his side, spitting out a chain of curses for the fact that he missed.

"KAIRI!" Sora shouted. He tried his best to heal it off using a curaga, but as he cast the spell, Kigara shot several more blasts at the area from where he stood, causing many SeeD members to be blown away, several of them burning to death in a hail of fire.

"NOT TODAY!" roared the deep booming voice of Golbez, grabbing Sora and throwing him towards the hangar. The sorcerer grabbed the injured Kairi and tucked her away under his cloak.

"GOLBEZ?" Sora cried out, summoning the X-blade and pointing it at his thought to be ally.

"Sora, head for your ship, she's been wounded by a spell meant for you, no healing spell can help her now! I know what to do, so just go and I will bring her to you as soon as I can!"

Sora spat out a curse and stood, nodding to his friend and running for the hangar.

"**BATTLE STATIONS, ALL HANDS PREPARE FOR EVACUATIONS!" **shouted a voice over the intercom.

Sora had to shove through the crowd of SeeDs and civilians until he reached his Gummi Ship. He made sure everyone was on board before heading to the cockpit. Vincent and Yuffie had followed through on their intent and were sitting with the kids. Ayumi moved in behind him.

"Where is that girl Kairi?" she asked, a teary Mokona going from Sora's coat to Ayumi's shoulder.

"That's not important right now," he spat. "Now get yourself strapped in!"

She winced at his harsh tone did what she was told. Seifer pushed past her and took his seat at the weapons station.

"LET'S GO!" Sora shouted, kicking the ship into high gear and blasting off into space. What he was shocked to see was… No ships were awaiting him…

"What the hell?" whispered Seifer, leaning into the viewscreen.

For Ayumi, this was the first time she had actually laid her eyes on outer space. Her blue eyes widened in surprise and the sheer vastness of it all.

"Woooow..."

"_Hey kid!" _said Cid over the intercom. His ship pulled up beside theirs. _"What gives? Shouldn't we be in a firefight right now?"_

"I don't know," Sora replied. "I think it might be a trap, but I don't sense Xehanort nearby at all. I think he left…"

"_It's a trap," _came the monotonous voice of Cloud. _"He wants you to come looking for him. I've seen this before. I think you know who I'm talking about. He's obviously trying to test your worth."_

"Well then I suppose we should look for a place to start."

Sora punched a few codes into the console.

"_Scanning the system for out of sync dark to light ratios…" _a mechanical voice said before spitting out some coordinates and revealed the location of a new world. _"Scanne_rs _indicate a world on the verge of collapse approximately three clicks from Radiant Garden. Command?"_

"Take us there!" Sora shouted, starting up his warp drive. "Cid, get everyone to Disney Castle and set up a rock solid defense! I'll see you soon!"

"_Go for it kid!"_

And with that, Sora and his crew sped off into the endless reaches of space in a flash of light.

KHKHKH

_**Author's Note.**_

_**After a long hiatus due to work and college complications, we have returned. Thank you for your patience and expect a new chapter within the month!**_


	16. Chapter 15: One Badass Overlord

**The Journey Begins**

**NOW**

_**Boom! Zzatzzatzzat! **_

"What the hell?"

"_Warning! Conditions in the space surrounding this world is incredibly unstable! No way to tell what's causing this disturbance, but readings show hundreds of life forms surrounding a single life form…"_

"Cut to the chase Tron!" shouted Sora at his console as he sped through blasts of fire and smoke, red lighting and waves of radiation surrounding a world that was collapsing right before his eyes. Ayumi and Seifer's mouths hung open at the sight of it.

The world was breaking into pieces.

"_The only thing I can say Sora is that the life form that I pointed out is wiping out all others," _shouted Tron through the computer speakers._ "It is tearing this world apart. The sheer magnitude of power on this being is incredible! Even Master Xehanort would be defenseless against this monster!"_

Ayumi flew back at the comparison with a shout, slamming her head into the wall.

"OW!" she cried, clutching her head. Sora stood motionless for a second before slapping his chest, his armor materializing around him.

"I'll be right back!"

_**Kingdom Hearts**_

_**Shattered Unity**_

_**Chapter 15**_

_**One Badass Overlord**_

_A flaming book appears before our eyes, a chilling laugh rising from the pages before it opens, the words__** The Sacred Library **__jumping out of them in the form of crumbling stones._

Several hundred monsters stood out on a large plain in front of a massive flaming building, crying in rage, hatred, agony and pain, surrounding a single being, but not even daring to take a closer step to it. The man, if one could call him that stood at nine feet tall, his blazing red hair like fire atop his head and down his back, reaching his ankles. He wore a cape that flapped out behind him, an open black coat, black slacks and boots, his and legs surrounded by a blazing purple aura. The being exuded power from every pore in his body.

When one of the monsters raised its claws to attack, running forward the man smirked. He reached into his jacket and out of nowhere pulled out a massive flaming glaive larger than his own body, and with a mighty cry and a flash of red…. All the monsters had been obliterated. He smirked and walked into the building, flipping his fiery hair over his shoulder. Before he even reached the door he turned his head to the left slightly and spoke loudly in a medium tone, laced with arrogance and pride.

"If you are going to follow me kid, you shouldn't have brought a little girl."

Behind him stood Sora in full armor, X-blade at his side, Ayumi cowering behind him and Mokona on his shoulder. Sora took a defensive stance and kept his distance, standing fifty yards away from the man.

KHKHKH

10 minutes ago

_Sora sat on his rider, the back door to the ship open preparing to launch._

"_Be careful!" shouted Yuffie. "Don't die!"_

"_Gee thanks!" he shouted back at her, starting the engines of his rider._

"_WAAAAAAIT!" he heard someone cry, jumping on the back of his rider with just the right force to push him off the ship and send them both into a fall towards the world below._

KHKHKH

"I'd have come alone if someone hadn't _jumped on my rider at the last second_ screaming about not wanting to get blown up!" he growled, shooting Ayumi a cold look.

"It's not my fault you left me alone with those idiots!" She shouted back at him indignantly, tears in her eyes. "They can't pilot worth crap!"

"Hyahahahahahaaaaaa!" the giant man cackled. "Scared little children on a dying world! Pathetic!"

"Why are you doing this?" Demanded Sora, pointing his X-blade at the man. "Innocent people-"

"Kid, do you know where we are?"

Sora stopped and cocked his head to the side.

The man turned to face him, his handsome features bearing a pointed nose and blank white eyes with a scar showing over one.

"We are in a netherworld. Anyone who lived on the surface of the world is long dead. And guess what? It wasn't me who killed 'em! In fact I'm trying to save this world!"

"Why would you-?"

"Because brats, I own this world. I won't let it go so easily."

"Then who?"

"A clown did it," he said with a completely straight face.

"A… clown?" Sora scoffed incredulously.

"A clown with an army of dark creatures, the likes of which I haven't seen since the Heartless."

Sora instantly knew who he was talking about.

"Kefka!"

"That's the one." The man nodded and turned away. "Now if you will excuse me I have to get the sacred tome before this world dies."

"Why do you need something like that?" asked Ayumi, peeking out from behind Sora.

"Because little lady!" He shouted throwing his arms out to his sides. "I AM ONE BADASS FREAKIN' OVEEEERLOOOOOORD! AND NO PROPHECY CAN TELL ME MY NETHERWORLD IS GOING TO BE DESTROYED! HYAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAA!"

He then sauntered into the ruined building, Sora biting his lip in frustration under his helmet.

"You can come with me if you want," said the man, cracking his neck. "You can see what real power is!"

Sora turned and looked at Ayumi who gulped. He nodded and grabbed her arm, holding her defensively as they followed the Overlord inside.

"So who are you exactly?" asked Sora as demons of all sorts leapt from the shadows at the Overlord, his aura snapping up at them as they came close, dispersing them in clouds of smoke.

"Have you not heard of me? I am Overlord-"

_**BOOOOOOM!**_

A huge grey skinned demon with a ring of drums floating behind his back came down in front of the Overlord with a Crash. The being lifted his leg and slammed it into the ground in front of them, cracking the earth below. He had blazing golden hair, far shorter than the Overlord's with red streaks going up the sides He wore a blue belt around his shoulders, his aura causing it to float off of him. He wore blue shorts and was shirtless and barefoot. It smirked at them and let took a stance.

"What the?" shouted the Overlord, taking a step back. "Who the hell are you?"

"I am called Raiden, Lord Zetta," the demon rumbled. "As per my master's orders, I am here to destroy you."

"So uh," Zetta said, taking a step forward, his aura spiking. "I'm guessing you are the reason my Netherworld is being destroyed?"

"No, that would be me!" growled another voice as Kefka appeared above Raiden's and landed on his shoulders, being only one third the size of the demon.

"Kefka!" shouted Sora, brandishing the X-blade and sending a wave of light at the clown. Zetta, however threw out his hand and deflected the attack effortlessly.

"Hyaaha ha ha ha!" cackled Zetta, gnashing his teeth. "I'm a freakin' overlord you idiots! The strongest one in the entire cosmos! Are you really the best that prophecy could send? I'll crush you like a grape!"

Kefka threw out his arms and his glaive materialized in his hand. Kefka blanched and threw out his arms.

"TRINE!"

A group of triangle shaped energy waves surrounded Zetta, who smirked and dispelled them with a shout and a burst of his aura.

"Oh SHIT!" cried Kefka, realizing one of his strongest attacks was powerless here. He leapt off Raiden's shoulders as the demon lunged at Kefka and began doing a series of electrically charged physical attacks, all of them avoided by the Overlord.

"Raiden eh?" said Zetta, ducking under a swing of Raiden's arm. "I've seen this fighting style before."

He leapt over a sweep of the leg.

"No matter, I think I'll just-"

Raiden leapt back and began beating on his drums as clouds formed over Zetta.

"Oh crap!" Zetta cried, throwing up his Glaive as a massive lightning bolt struck it like a lightning rod. Zetta's body was absorbing the electricity, his skeleton visible under his skin and clothes. Ayumi screamed in terror behind Sora, who took a defensive stance, but went wide eyed when he heard laughter from beneath the electricity.

"HYAAAAHAHAHAHAHAAAA! NICE TRY LOSER BUT YOU HAVE FAILED!" screamed Zetta, his body charging all the electricity into his blade. "HERE'S YOUR CONSOLATION PRIZE!"

Then all of a sudden he was behind Raiden, who had a look of pure terror on his face as he slowly cleaved in two, dissipating into a mere spark of electricity. Zetta stood in front of Kefka, grinning maliciously. Kefka muttered something about a dentist appointment and vanished in a puff of smoke.

"That's what I thought!" cackled Zetta. "Now onto the… helloooo!"

Before him, floating on an altar, was a blue book with ornate runes on the cover. Sora walked up next to him and stared at it.

"Will this save the world?" he asked, looking up at Zetta.

"Well let's see…." Zetta muttered, raising his hand as the book floated in front of him opening up and flipping to the right page. "Let's see if things have improved now that I've trashed that Raiden guy and scared off the clown. It says…. WHAT THE-?"

He stood there, a look of shock and rage on his face. Ayumi and Mokona craned their necks to see what was going on and they went into a fit of giggles after they read it. Sora read it aloud.

"_Lord Zetta is stupid. His foolishness has doomed his Netherworld… to extinction!"_

"S-stupid am I?" Zetta roared in anger. "My foolishness doomed the Netherworld? Really? How dare you read to me like that? I'm a freakin' Overlord! What is this? 'Sacred Tome'! Ha! More like… Sucky… dumb… THING!"

He snapped his finger and the book burst into violet flames. He was about to laugh in triumph but the entire world began to shake.

"What the?"

"What did you do?" screamed Ayumi, hugging Mokona tightly.

"I didn't do anything- GRUARRRRGH!"

"REFLEGA MAXIMA!" Sora grabbed Ayumi and cast a powerful shield spell to protect them as the world around them burst into flames. They were safe in their bubble at least, but through the honeycombed dome of magic they could see the look of pain and agony on Zetta's face as he burnt alive.

"What the hell's going on?" he screamed. "Wait…! The Sacred Tome is…. AHHH CRAP!"

"What's happening?" shouted Sora.

"THE TOME IS THE HEART OF THE WORLD!" Roared Zetta, grabbing his face as the skin began to char and crumble from his body. "MY NETHERWORLD'S GONNA BE DESTROYED!"

Zetta looked at the burning book before him and his eyes flashed with realization.

"I'll bind my soul to the damn book!" He shouted, grabbing it and pulling it to his chest.

"_**CONFINE!"**_

And then there was nothing. When Sora and Ayumi woke up they were floating in the middle of space, the shield cracked and broken in some areas, and it was beginning to flicker out of existence. Sora dismissed it and righted himself. He looked around and saw Ayumi dragging herself through the void towards the sacred tome… which was red now. As soon as her fingers touched it, it moved.

"Holy… craaaap!" a voice came from the book. She grabbed it and turned it around so it was facing her, and on the cover was…. Lord Zetta's face! Sora glided through the void over to them and nudged Ayumi to the side.

"Zetta, are you okay?" Sora asked him slowly, not touching the book. Zetta had a glazed over expression, as though he was in shock.

"I lost everything," he mumbled to himself. "My Netherworld… my castle… my brothers… even my own body… it's all gone."

"Zetta," Ayumi said, her voice full of empathy, knowing what it was like to lose one's home.

"How did I end up like this?" he continued, as a girl with blue hair in a ponytail with two long locks falling down the front down past her chest wandered by, her pointed ears twitching as she hummed to herself. She looked at the little group and peeked over Ayumi's shoulder and snickered at Zetta's rambling.

"I was the most badass Overlord for Magog's sake!" he said, but when he heard the snickering he became angry and finally noticed his company, snapping out of his shock. "Who the hell're you? What are all of you doing here? Only beings of demon class or higher are allowed in my space…. How'd a bunch of brats get in?"

"Oh, you're not concerned with me sir!" said the blue haired girl, getting confused looks from Sora Ayumi and Zetta. Zetta paused for a second.

"I'm not?"

"That's a relief!" she chippered, skipping off into the void. "Have a nice day!"

Zetta attempted to follow but, being a book, he couldn't get far.

"H-hey! Wait! Cease! Halt! Come back!" he roared, but when she faded into the darkness he turned to Sora and Ayumi. "What the hell was that about? Aha! A strong mana's coming! I can feel it! Who could it be? Better not be Salome."

"A strong what?" said Sora, taking off his helmet and scratching his head. Suddenly there was a great rumbing and a portal opened, another girl skipping out, this one having white hair, deep red eyes, decorative cat ears on her head and cuffs on her wrists along with her very frilly dress, some little white wings visible on her back.

"And that's how my prophecy came true!" She mocked the fallen Overlord, hopping past Sora and Ayumi and getting in Zetta's face. "Lord Zetta avoided destruction by trapping his soul in the Sacred Tome."

She looked at the kids and laughed.

"Man, this guy's harder to kill than a cockroach!" she cackled. She turned on Zetta who shrunk away. "Thusly, Lord Zetta's Netherworld vanished into inky black nothingness!"

"Oh it's you," grumbled Zetta. "Hello Pram."

"Hello? Who were you expecting? Anyway, you're looking literary today. Walk me through your makeover, page by page!"

"Hey, don't laugh at him!" scolded Ayumi, who received a disapproving glare from Pram. "It's not exactly the most fun thing in the world to lose your home you know!"

"And who might you be?" Pram floated above her threateningly, Ayumi shrinking away. Sora stepped in front of her and glared right back at Pram.

"Stop that!" shouted Zetta. "I didn't do this on purpose! How will this affect business? Can I pull outta this?"

"Of course!" said Pram, turning and prancing towards Zetta. "Don't you have any faith? I brought a friend along!"

She snapped her finger and suddenly there was a bright violet light, summoning runes that reminded Sora of his first encounter with Sephiroth in Olympus Coliseum appeared as a massive beast emerged from the light. What they saw was the top half of a demon, purple skin, yellow eyes, giant horns, four arms, a great diamond in his chest and forehead, a magic circle floating behind his back. He had four giant wings, and his bottom half consisted of a great dragon's head, spewing fire, four horns coming from the back of its skull, and imbedded in the dragon's head was the face of a beautiful woman, hair flowing. Sora and Ayumi could not fathom the beast's sheer power, their hearts filling with fear as it towered over them.

The demon's expression went from angry to concerned, his top to hands covering his mouth as he gasped and he spoke in a high voice with a slight lisp.

"Are you okay Zetta?" He cried, looking on the verge of tears. "You nearly gave me a heart attack! When I heard you were in trouble I rushed right over."

"Oh please!" said the woman's face, her eyes shooting open. "Cut the crap Mickey! You're here to kill Zetta."

"WHAT?" cried the demon apparently called Mickey. "Goodness, no!"

"Heheheheheheeee!" chuckled the dragon's head, his voice causing Sora's armor to vibrate. "Kill him, kill him kill him! AHAHAHAHAAHAAA!"

Mickey through his arms down with his fists balled up.

"Stop that both of you! I'm really worried about Lord Zettaaaa!"

"W-what is that thing?" Ayumi stuttered out, shaking from head to toe.

"This thing," said Pram, patting her on the head. "Er… these _things_ are Dark Lord Valvoga, the Star Overlord. The Lower body is Dryzen the dragon, the face on its stomach is Ophelia, the fallen angel, and the upper body is Mickey, who supposedly makes the decisions, but the other two tend to bully him. They're basically calling the shots."

"For a demon general he's pretty spineless," muttered Zetta.

"You guys are so mean!" wept Mickey. But he stopped, to look over Zetta. "Wow Zetta… even though you're just a little novella now, you haven't lost any power at all."

"DAMN RIGHT!" Shouted Zetta, making Ayumi jump. "I'm the best there is! You lame overlords can't compare to me!"

"Put a sock in it already," Said Pram, clicking her tongue smartly. "Mana power isn't worth much if you can't even move around. You're awfully helpless for a badass freaking Overlord."

"Yeah," Said Sora, Opening Zetta who started screaming in protest. "Not much of a badass anymore."

"Oh!" Mickey jumped, covering his mouth with his hand. His shock turned to interest. "How in the world did these little lesser demons get in here? Aren't they just precious?"

"LESSER DEMONS!" Screamed Dryzen, licking his chops. "MUST FEED ON DEMON FLESH! AHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!"

"OH CRAP PUT ME DOOOOOWN!" Screamed Zetta as Sora tossed him aside throwing an X shaped beam of light at Dryzen. It hit the dragon head, the beast shouting in pain as Pram appeared in front of him, Mickey regaining control over his body.

"Dryzen! knock that off you little scamp!" scolded Mickey, slapping his bottom half on the horn.

Pram spun on Sora.

"No demon could do that!" she said, getting in his face.

"I'm not a demon, I'm a human!" He shouted back. "A Keyblade Master!"

"A… k-keyblade Master?" She shouted, hiding behind Mickey. "Those guys are bad news! Last time I saw one he wiped out a whole world on his own!"

"Are you talking about Xehanort?" Sora asked Pram, his voice filling with anxiousness.

"I dunno anyone specifically…at least by name. I just know that the power those Keybladers have isn't something to mess around with…" She continued to shout at Sora.

"Keyblade master…?" Zetta asked. "What the hell are those?"

Sora looked at Zetta, pointing at himself. "Umm…I am?"

"Uhh….that doesn't exactly answer my question. The hell is a Keyblade Master? They must not be strong…since I've never heard of one." He continued.

Pram gasped. "Zetta…you've never heard of a Keyblade Master?"

Zetta shook his body. "Nope. Can't say I have. If I ever did…" He opened his book body as wide as he could on an empty page. "…then those are all the shits I never gave. Hyahahahahahahaha!"

Pram sighed and floated down to him and slammed him shut painfully, Zetta shouting in pain.

"You know I really hate your attitude!" she growled at him.

"Well what are you gonna do about it?" He spat back. She thought for a few seconds and giggled.

"Tell you what," She grinned maliciously. The Sacred Tome, a.k.a. _you_ can grant just about any wish. Of course those wishes are only restricted to a netherworld, so there's no way you can use them outside of one."

"But what are netherworlds?" asked Ayumi, stepping up to Pram.

"Netherworlds are the darkest part of a World's heart, a vast space where dark creatures live and grow. Before the Heartless popped up we Overlords lived in peaceful bliss, fighting over each other's Netherworlds for fun. Unfortunately humans, even Keybladers cannot get in or out of a Netherworld. The only reason you are here is because Zetta combined with the Tome, creating a spacial distortion. I can get you out, but I can't let you back in. So this wish is going to be the only one usable in a while!"

"Wish me some arms!" Shouted Zetta.

"Arms are overrated," she said, pulling a pencil from her dress and licking the tip, flipping Zetta open. "Instead here's something to help your attitude."

"You could use it honey," muttered Mickey.

"Shut up Mickey," said Zetta.

"I wish for Zetta," she muttered. "To be bound to the Keyblade Master… what's your name?"

"Sora…" he said, a bit confused.

"Sora," she continued. "Until he can learn what it means to value a true friend. When he creates an unbreakable bond of compassion may he return to his normal form."

"WHAT?" Shouted Sora and Zetta.

Pram also pulled a leather strap from her dress and a bright red stapler.

"Hold still!" she sang happily, grabbing a screaming Zetta and stapled the strap painfully to his binding.

"OOOOOOOWW!" Zetta cried out in agony.

Pram then grabbed Sora and put the strap over his shoulder.

"And if you leave eachother for more than a day Zetta will die and the Sacred Tome will burn up forever! Toodles!"

She snapped her finger and grabbed Sora and Ayumi, tossing them into a portal that popped up before them.

"WAIT I WANT TO MAKE A WIIIIISH!" Screamed Sora, scrambling to get back to the Netherworld.

"AND I DON'T CARE!" shouted Pram. She snapped her fingers and the portal closed on them, leaving Sora Ayumi and Zetta floating through space. Mokona crawled from Ayumi's arms, latched on to Zetta and began to chew on his binding.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS THING?" he screamed.

Ayumi pried him off of Zetta and stroked his fur.

"He tastes funny," said the little creature.

Zetta turned himself to face them.

"So, now that that happened," he said, looking them over. "I can honestly say I already hate you."

**Overlord Zetta Joins the party! But where are the Twilight Town gang, Yuffie and Vincent?**

**What about Kairi and Golbez? What's with the short chapter you guys? Tune in next time in**

_**Kingdom Hearts**_

_**Shattered Unity**_**!**


	17. Chapter 16: Rendevouz at Twilight

**Rendevouz at Twilight**

**What is in store next? **

**Sora and Ayumi have been separated from the rest of the crew.**

**For now…home is all they know.**

-Moments after Sora and Ayumi jumped ship-

"What do we do? What do we do?" Hayner shouted as he ran in circles, panicking as the space around them became considerably more and more violent and unstable.

"We're getting outta here is what we're doing!" Pence said as he ducked for cover under his tank top.

"Do you even have the slightest clue how much I _hate_ flying? YOU'RE NOT HELPING!" Yuffie screamed back as she quickly grabbed a bag to vomit in.

Suddenly the ship stabilized, and started to fly without turbulence rocking it every few seconds. Everything got quiet as Vincent took the wheel and drove straight out of the chaos.

"Where are we headed?" Olette asked him. Vincent gave no reply. Seifer decided now was the time to act as leader.

"We've gotta get back home for now…it's the only safe place we can land." He said, trying to keep his own fear down.

"Where is your home?" Yuffie asked, holding tightly onto a guard rail as she kept her bag close. Vivi walked over to the navigation panel and looked over the star map. pointing at a world coated in a soft orange and yellow glow.

"Not here." Hayner threw out with a sarcastic tone.

Suddenly the ship shook violently, everyone stumbling and Yuffie throwing up once more.

"What the hell?" Seifer shouted as the space became even more unstable.

"Tron! Get us out of here!" Pence yelled, panicking helplessly.

"_We can jump to hyperspace…but…where to?"_ Tron asked back as the gummi continued to shake violently.

"Anywhere but here!" Olette replied as Vincent flipped the switch for overdrive.

The gummi ship warped rapidly out of the crumbling space and after what felt like a couple seconds the ship stopped.

"Where are we now?" Hayner asked, hoping someone might know the answer. Suddenly Olette screamed in fear.

"Aaaaaaahhhhhhhh!" the loud high-pitched yell seemed to pierce everyone's ears, except Vincent who remained silent.

"What is it?" Seifer asked, covering his ears. Fuu tapped him on the shoulder and pointed forward.

"ENEMY." She said. As she finished, the crew looked forward in fear of what they might find. Before them was a Nobody Dreadnought fleet, the very one Sora had told about during his past recounting of his journey. Hundreds of cruisers flanked by thousands of mini cruisers, Gummy Nobodies whizzing around it, and behind them the world sized Dreadnought itself. Vincent stared it down, as if he intended to fly through and fight. Yuffie looked at Vincent, realizing what he was going to do.

[Reccommended Song: Sector Z – Star Fox 64 OST]

"Oh no you don't…we can't take _that_ on with this little ship!" she said to him with a fearful tone. "Vincent, Tron…you put this ship back in- AAAAAAHHHH!"

She was suddenly cut off as Vincent grunted and flew right into the fleet. Several hundred laser blasts fired at them as Vincent moved in and out, launching return fire and destroying ships left and right. As they broke through the first line, several medium-sized ships launched a wave of missiles.

"Look out!" Rai yelled as Vincent flew around, several seeker missles on his tail as he bobbed and weaved between crossfire. As the missiles approached, Tron turned one of the turrets around and fired, destroying one and causing that explosion to destroy two more.

"This is just too crazy!" Vivi shouted as he held onto his seat for dear life. Vincent spun around, spreading Tron's fire in a circle as two more missiles were destroyed. Only one was still following them, when a group of about 6 ships approached the Gummi.

"We're done for!" Pence flinched as he held his hands over his head. The crew was about to get caught in a pincer movement. Vincent glared at the oncoming ship, increasing speed and barrel rolling as the group fired a torrent of laser shots. Several shots came within inches of the ship, with a few grazing the sheilds. Just as Vincent approached the blockade, Tron turned every turret available on full power as they spiraled with beams as a shield against enemy attacks. In a split second, the Gummi ship drilled through the group and used the explosion to destroy the last missile.

"YEAH! We're all right, yknow?" Rai cheered. The entire crew took a sigh of relief for a moment before seeing one of the massive Cruiser ships pull up close to them.

"Dammit…out of the frying pan-" Hayner said.

"-And into the fire." Seifer finished.

Vincent gripped the controls for a brief moment before he said "Let's go." As they sped forward at the Cruiser ship, they were met by several lines and blockades of ships.

[Recommended song: BafBaf! Sonna ni Moeru no ga...Suki kai – Gurren Lagann OST]

Yuffie strapped herself to the wall of the ship with several seat belts as they took off, dodging shots left and right. As they approached, several ships formed large walls of laser blasts just to take them out.

"Aw no…" Pence sighed as he saw the lights launch at them. Tron then had an idea.

"Hold on tight everyone!" He told the crew as the wall of beams got closer. Suddenly the Gummi ship spin around, firing laser shots as it continued to shoot forward. Just as the wall approached, the shots clashed, and cleared enough space for the ship to pass through. As the ship shot past the beam wall, Vincent turned the ship off to the side to attempt and attack from a different angle. The ship rocketed forward as they blasted several ships left and right before they had the chance to turn around.

"Yeah! Get em!" Hayner cheered on as several ships blew up. Just as they were about to break through the lines though, several ships encircled the gummi rapidly, leaving them with nowhere to run. Laser fire battered the small ship, the shield eventually collapsing and the hull crying out under the intense fire. Soon enough, a large explosion rocked the ship.

"_We've lost our main engines!"_ said Tron. _"The ship is set to explode if we press any further than this! Hyperspace is out of the question!"_

"Oh…crap." Seifer said, realizing that they couldn't get out of this one. Suddenly a volley of lasers came from above and destroyed several of the ships in the circle. Everyone on board looked at the view screen to try and find the source of them, and saw four fighter ships zooming through, blasting several enemies all at once.

"Woah…they're good" Olette said, "Whoever they are…".

Vincent pressed a couple of buttons and Tron opened the comm. Channel, searching for the mystery pilot's signal. As they did, one ship in particular was expertly avoiding all fire as it blasted enemies left and right, while another launched a bomb that caused a massive explosion, destroying another large chunk of enemies. One of those four ships seemed to have some trouble though, as somehow 3 nobody gummis got behind it and opened fire. Vincent gripped the controls and sped to help that fighter out.

"_There! I found their frequency!"_ Tron said as they approached the ship. _"Connecting now."_

Just then a voice came over the radio.

"_Fox! Get this guy off me!"_ a loud, obnoxiously high pitched voice shouted.

"_Hang on Slippy! I'm coming!"_ a voice replied. The chatter continued as explosions formed all around the space, and one of the fighters flew by, destroying all 3 enemies that were dogging the one apparently piloted by someone named Slippy. The only thing really noticeable about the ship as it passed was the winged fox logo on its side.

"_Greetings users, my name is Tron. Thank you for the assist."_ Tron said over the comm. channel.

"_Piece o' cake! The name's Falco."_ A more arrogant voice replied, a picture of a bird wearing some kind of lensed device over his eye appeared on the screen. The pilot flew by the gummi and struck a pose from within, revealing him to be a blue bird. Another flew in next to where Falco was as he took off.

"_This is Peppy, glad to help."_ His voice came over the comm, large old looking rabbit appearing where Falco used to be. Yuffie tilted her head as she saw him fly by.

"He's an old bunny…?" she wondered. The two launched bombs into a cluster of what could have easily been fourty enemies, and destroyed all of them. From the explosion, the other two fighters flew by, both introducing themselves.

"_Slippy here, I'm okay."_ Said a green frog with a mechanic cap.

"_We're Star Fox!"_ the fox said as he passed by. _"Name's Fox."_

"_Thanks again for the help. We're a ship that was unfortunate enough to run into a swarm of enemies. Name's Tron."_ Tron replied. The four ships flew around for a bit, continuing to clear the area of smaller ships with ease. It made Vincent's piloting earlier almost look like child's play.

"_You guys okay for now?"_ Fox asked. _"We were passing through the sector and picked up the laser fire on our sensors!"_

"_I think we've got this from here. Thanks again."_ Tron replied.

"_We'll remain here and watch your tail!"_ Fox said. "_That ship looks like it's at its end. We can't take you on our ships and our mothership is docked at a space station too far away to help."_

Vincent took a breath before looking at the kids in the back.

"Perhaps we should take one of the ships from this fleet?" he asked them.

"It can't get much worse than this, let's do it!" Vivi exclaimed. The rest of the group nodded with determination as Vincent turned around and flew straight into the cruiser.

"_We'll watch your backs!"_ said Slippy, firing into the hangar doors, taking out hordes of Nobodies scrambling to escape.

They shot forward and found what appeared to be a hangar, and blasted a hole in the airlock doors as they stormed the battleship.

[Recommended song: Dynasty Warriors 7 BGM - 11 - Storming the Castle - Massacre Theatre]

They flew in and killed the engines, landing hard on the hangar floor taking a group of nobodies with them as they skidded around past ships and fighters, slamming hard into the steel walls of the Cruiser.

One of the Star Fox ships landed nearby, an anthropomorphic bird they recognized as Falco hopping from the cockpit with a blaster pistol, offering them some cover fire.

Vincent opened the Gummi ship's ramp and ran down, avoiding fire from Snipers and Gummi Nobodies, returning fire with his pistol. Vivi came up behind him and unleashed a torrent of basic spells, killing anything that he hit. The others followed them closely, weapons raised. Vinent spotted some Nobodies heading for a small cruiser, about three times the size of the Gummi ship.

It was a white, vaguely insectoid battleship. Its main body was comprised of four connected, rectangular towers, each with a tall pyramidal spike on top. There were two long cannons lining either side of the Mini-Cruiser that also resembled towers. These cannons both ended in large cones. It had six spikes on its underside, three lining each of these side towers that resembled legs. It almost resembled a castle like fortress on legs.

Seifer grinned and whistled, putting his gunblade upon his shoulder as he stared up at the behemoth. "This will be fun. Cmon guys! We as the Disciplinary Committee have a lot of punishment to deliver. Let 'em have it!" he shouted as he waved for Rai, Fuu, and Vivi to follow him. The group ran to the ship as the nobodies were boarding and attacked as many as they possibly could.

"I've gotten stronger since last time!" shouted Seifer, slashing through them with ease. Vivi threw out his spells and Hayner Pence and Ollete took them down with their short swords. Rai took some down with his bo staff and Fuu with her chakram. Yuffie used her ninja skills to take them out from far away until they had cleared the ship completely.

Vincent Hayner and Pence took the controls as everyone else went to the large cargo area behind the cockpit and sat down. They turned on their communications and weapons system, targeting any Nobodies that got too close, with Falco providing support with his blaster.

"What about Tron?" shouted Yuffie from the cargo bay. The communications suddenly went haywire and static filled their ears until a familiar voice rang in the air.

"_Tron here, I've successfully taken control of their computer systems, I'm ready to get out of here when you are. I've also jammed their communications. Once we leave the hangar they won't even know we are the enemy."_

"What about the old ship?" asked Ollette sadly, standing behind them in the cockpit. "I know Sora wouldn't want us to just leave it…."

Hayner rolled his eyes at her.

"Listen," he said. "I know you have googley eyes for Sora and all, but now isn't the time to get sentimental."

"_Actually,"_ Tron interjected. _"This ship has a powerful tractor beam, I'm assuming to capture enemy ships. We could easily haul the old ship into hyperdrive all the way to Twilight Town."_

"Alright then," said Ollette haughtily. "Let's hook it up!"

Vincent grunted in agreement and lifted the ship off the hangar floor. Falco took this as his signal to leave as well and hopped into his starship. The two crafts pulled out of the hangar, the Highwind locked in the tractor beam behind the small cruiser. "_We've created an opening for you,"_ said Peppy over the intercom. _"Give us your coordinates and we will escort you to your next destination."_

Hayner went to the navigation panel and sent their coordinates to Star Fox who took a protective formation around the damaged ship.

Before the Nobodies could reopen fire, the six ships vanished into space.

And now in a place darker than the most silent night, waves crashing against the dead shores. We enter the Dark Meridian.

_Several Hours ago._

Golbez fell to his knees, the effort of opening such a dark portal weighing heavily on his already tainted heart. Kairi's limp form dropped next to him as he gripped his chest, he yanked off his helmet to show the face of an older man, silver hair hiding his eyes as he coughed heavily.

"Damn you Yen Sid," he moaned in pain, falling next to the unconscious girl with a loud thud and a cloud of sand. "If I had known I would become so attached to children I would have left you to die."

"Attachment is not a sign of weakness friend," said a deep voice. "It is a sign of a heart yet to be fully consumed by the darkness that lingers within it."

Golbez climbed to his feet, his eyes going wide as he recognized the man before him, not in face but in voice, stature and the sadness in his eyes.

"DiZ," he rumbled. "As I live and breathe…."

"Are these friends of yours?" came the voice of a young girl from behind the phantom, her sea blue hair bouncing on her head as she stepped out from the rocks nearby.

"No, Miss Aqua," said DiZ. "And I do not go by the name DiZ anymore my friend. I am Ansem the Outcast."

Golbez grabbed his helmet and stood straight with some effort. "Ansem," he said sternly. "You must help this girl. I believe you know her… she is a Princess of Heart from Radiant Garden!"  
Ansem's eyes shot wide open under his hood. He lowered it to reveal that he had not aged at all since his vanishing the year before. He ran over and knelt beside Kairi, cradling her head in his hand.

"K-kairi," he gasped, tears coming to his eyes. "My little niece… oh how I have missed you. I am sorry I could not afford to speak to you when I saw you last… you've become so beautiful…."

"Princess of Heart?" cried Aqua, kneeling on her other side. "Oh my god… it's her… that little girl from so long ago!"

Golbez's eyes rolled into the back of his head as he passed out on the beach next to them.

In the Realm of Light, Xehanort's fleet drifted through space towards a new destination. Xehanort sat in the captain's chair of the mothership, already late for a meeting. His cheek rested against his fist as he watched the stars go by, his mind scheming on his next move against his enemies. Soon he heard a loud noise as a cloud of feathers was launched into the room. Donald, having bitten a Heartbourne and trying to run away, was forced to stop in front of Xehanort himself. Goofy came in soon after, hauled in by his captors. Donald sat in front of his captor shivering in fright.

"You wished to see me?" asked Xehanort wearily. "I heard you've been hollering for days."

Donald shook of his fear and pointed at Xehanort, Goofy being shoved down at his side.

"What did you do with Kairi?" he squawked in rage. "I saw your boys drag her out of that cell and we want answers!"

"I told my subordinate to take out Sora, but knowing she would be nearby and she would take a hit for him, I gambled, and I won."

"What do you mean you won? You won't have your way Xehanort! Sora and Kairi will stop you!" Donald yelled at him from behind Goofy.

"Foolish creatures…I know I am right because I cannot sense her light at all. Your princess has perished." Xehanort replied with a deep malevolent laughter in his voice.

"You're lying! We know they're stronger than any of your lackeys, isn't that right Donald?" Goofy turned to ask Donald, looking him in the eye for a reinforcement of confidence. "Yeah! And your dumb monsters won't be able to beat the power of smiles!" Donald chipped in with a rather angry yet forced smile.

"_We are nearing our destination." _Spouted a feminine voice from the intercom._ "Three large ships are awaiting our arrival."_

Xehanort sighed. "I tire of these ridiculous antics. Nothing you have any hope in is left. Know that you will suffer absolute despair before I am through with you. Now that your question is answered, take them away." He waved at a group of heartbourne, who dragged Donald and Goofy back to their cells kicking and screaming and smiling the entire time.

"Raise shields but deactivate weapons," said Xehanort to the Heartbourne running the controls. "I want all security in the hangar waiting for me in formation." When they left hyperdrive they were met with the sight of a massive worm hole and three triangular ships with large structures atop them coming towards their fleet. They were followed by several frigates and many fighters shaped like balls with two flat wings attached to them at a vertical angle. A small ship was coming towards them, obviously a diplomatic ship flanked by two gunships.

The hangar doors to Xehanort's ship opened up as the three ships flew in, setting down as the Heartbourne stood in perfect formation and at attention, their artificial keyblades at their sides. The gunships were disembarked with about twenty soldiers in shining white armor, rifles at their sides as they took attention facing the heartbourne in case the monsters made a bad move towards their diplomat. The doors opened and flanked by soldiers in red armor and robes was a man who stood a head taller than Xehanort, wearing all black armor, his face concealed within a helmet with soulless and emotionless eyes, his automated breathing echoing throughout the large hangar.

"Lord Vader," said Xehanort, extending a hand to his guest. "Pleased to finally meet you."

"Let us make this quick Xehanort," replied the man in a very deep, muffled voice. "I am not here to mince words, you need my help and I need yours. Let us make these negotiations quick."

Xehanort lowered his hand with a slight sneer and spun on his heel, the armored man following with his hands on his belt. The Red Guards flanking him followed suit.

"Then let us get down to business," growled Xehanort as he lead him to a meeting room.

Meanwhile, somewhere in space…

"You know what else I hate?" said an aggravated voice in the depths of space. "You. You know what I hate more? You."

Sora sighed as the book known as Zetta rambled on and on about how much he hated them.

"You know what I hate more than both of you?"

"_What_?" Sora and Ayumi screamed at him after hours of drifting through space.

"French Toast. Too soggy."

Sora put his palm to his face and sighed in total discontentment.

"Can we at least try to get along?" he asked Zetta.

Zetta remained silent for a moment before replying.

"Sure, as long as you agree to a few conditions." He replied.

"What?" Ayumi asked.

"First, you join my personal army. I will call you… _My Loyal Battle-Monkies!_Hyahahahahahahaha!" He laughed like a maniac.

Sora ignored Zetta's words and only said "I miss my mom's French toast. It was never too soggy."

"I don't care WHAT unholy breakfast you consumed, French toast is bad and you should feel bad!" Zetta shouted back at Sora.

"I like waffles." Ayumi squeaked out, as if to break into the conversation. Sora and Zetta stopped when she mentioned waffles.

"Let's just stop here. We're not getting anywhere like this…" Sora said, ending the discussion about breakfast foods. "Now where are those guys? I don't see them anywhere." He muttered.

"You know what I don't see?" Zetta asked Sora.

Sora sighed. "What?" he asked, already expecting a smart-ass response.

"I don't see any bacon." Zetta replied.

Sora threw his arms up in frustration. "Okay! I get it, you're hungry. We're all hungry! We'll get something to eat somewhere soon." He yelled back at Zetta.

"Hungry? Who said I was hungry? You're implying that a badass freaking overlord like me requires sustenance. If you humans get hungry that's your problem. I'm a book in case you forgot. Where the hell is my digestive system? In my bindings?" Zetta chuckled as he knew what stress he was giving to Sora and Ayumi.

"Did someone say French toast? I love that stuff!" Mokona popped his head out.

"But you eat _everything_," Ayumi added.

"Lil late to the discussion. What is he, a retarded cotton puffball?" Zetta asked. Mokona turned slightly red and puffed his cheeks before he attempted to eat Zetta right then and there. Sora grabbed Mokona by the fur on his back and held the wriggling creature there.

"What we need to do is figure out where to look for Vincent and the others," said Sora.

"Well where would they have gone?" asked Ayumi, taking a fussy Zetta and putting his strap around her shoulder. Sora thought about it for a moment before snapping his fingers in realization and summoning his rider.

"They most likely went home," he said, mounting the rider and waiting for Ayumi to get on behind him. "They have been pretty homesick the last few months."

"Pathetic humans and their house diseases!" commented Zetta. "Overlords know no such ailments!"

Sora sighed and kicked his rider into high gear, flashing into hyperdrive. As they flew on for several hours, Sora extended his senses to the world around him, using the X-blade's power to guide him to Twilight Town. Eventually Sora began to sense a powerful darkness emanating from the path in front of him. He slowed the rider until he was moving at normal speeds, until his query was in his sights.

It was Xehanort's mothership floating across from three large ships just as big as it was. Sora could sense Xehanort inside the gummy ship, as well as another force within. Sora tried to conceal himself to his best efforts but quickly realized it was pointless as multiple fighters matching the silver color scheme of the triangular warships flew in from behind him firing green bolts of energy at him. Ayumi cried out in fear as Sora sped off, outmatching the small ships in speed but not in firepower. Sora's eyes widened beneath his helmet as he felt two pairs of cold calculating eyes fall on him from within Xehanort's ship.

Darth Vader looked out of the window towards his fighters attacking the small craft with Xehanort at his side. He looked at Xehanort critically from beneath his helmet, his automated breathing the only sound in between the two men.

"I suppose that this is the boy you are after?" He asked, turning his attention back to Sora's dogfight, silently impressed as Sora leapt from his rider and cleaved one of the fighters in two with a flash of golden light, landing nimbly back onto his previous position.

"Yes," replied Xehanort. "It would be most helpful if he were captured not killed. Call off your fighters please."

Vader nodded and pulled a communication device from his belt, speaking a coded command into the device. Sora slowed to a stop on his rider as he watched the fighters disengage and speed back towards the warships.

"Now," said Xehanort. "Those assassins I ordered?"

Vader nodded and waved a hand towards the door, forcing them open with his otherworldly powers.

"Interesting," muttered Xehanort. After a few seconds three figures stepped into the room, cyborgs from the look of them. The one in front wore a full body-suit made of the same quilted material as the one featured on Vader's armor, along with similar looking pectoral armor. The hands were gloved and the helmet has an outwards slanting metal plate attached that protects the rear and sides of the neck, and mimiced the silhouette of Vader's helmet. He wore a tattered battle skirt behind his legs, sweeping outwards behind his boots. The other two wore similar but much cruder helmets. Protecting their necks were high metal collars that connected to a form-fitting pauldron protecting the right shoulder. Their right forearms were protected by a set of angular metal plates grafted to the flesh and connecting to the largely prosthetic right hand. The left arm and shoulder were left bare. The chest was protected by a set of ribbed, flexible armor plates. The armor included a series of leather belts, holding several metal cylinders just like the one on Vader's belt. Below the belts were another series of ribbed plates forming a girdle that protected the waist and crotch. Whatever leg protection was utilized remained hidden by the ragged, floor-length combat skirt. Beneath the plates and combat skirt, the wearers were clad in a skin-tight black bodysuit made of what appeared to be leather.

The three of them knelt before their master, who ignored them and spoke to Xehanort.

"These are my best assassins, the Sith Stalker units. They will do your bidding as you command it, but on one condition."

"And that would be?" asked Xehanort slowly, his eyes narrowing.

"When this boy is captured and you have killed him, I want his body, intact."

"And that is all?"

"Indeed. Are we at an agreement?"

Xehanort considered his options and after a few moments, he nodded.

"Good then," said Vader, stepping away from his assassins. "I have business to attend to in my own realm. I have left small ships for the assassins in your hangar."

Xehanort grinned and bowed slightly.

"May the 'Force' be with you, Lord Vader," he said snidely. Vader turned to face him in the doorway and stared at him.

"And may it be with you," he said slowly. "Lest my lightsaber strike you for you impudence. Good day."

And with that, Darth Vader left, Xehanort cackling to himself at the exchange, watching as Sora went speeding off in the distance.

On the way back to Twilight town, everyone was stuck in a debate over what they should do.

"When we get back…I wanna eat." Pence said, laying back in his seat.

"I dunno…maybe we should start giving this ship our own brand of awesome." Hayner replied.

"What do you have in mind? It better not be dorky." Seifer added on.

"How about we give this ship a makeover?" Olette suggested. Everyone stared at her.

"Oh come on, you know…paint it, give it some new upgrades, make it look better in general…" she added.

"You know…that sounds like a good idea. Why not?" Vivi jumped up and down.

While the crew was talking about their plans for the ship, Vincent and Yuffie were having their own discussion.

"Hey…once we land, shouldn't we get going on our own journey?" Yuffie asked him.

"Probably. I have answers to seek…and nothing's going to stop me." Vincent said.

"Well…I know Squall can handle himself…but I'm more worried about you. I'd rather not lose you again…" she added, with a hint of sadness in her voice.

"I've already caused you so much grief…but I know trying to leave you behind won't help. If you promise to join me, you also have to promise to run when I tell you to." Vincent whispered. He hid the emotions in his heart the best he could, but his face was only just the slightest red.

"Then it's settled. I'll stay with you from here on." Yuffie smiled and nodded as she leaned in. Vincent froze for one second before he found himself leaning in as well. The two inched closer slowly for what seemed like forever, sharing a sweet kiss. They stayed that way until Vincent became too busy with their kiss to watch the controls.

"Watch the road yknow!" Rai said rather loudly.

"But there are no…" Hayner was about to say. Then he saw Vincent and Yuffie and muttered to himself.

"Oh…"

The two broke off their moment, both rather red. The rest of the kids on the other hand went right back to talking about how they planned to "pimp out" their new ship, as Fuu put it.

"We should make it black with flames on the sides!" Hayner suggested.

"Too overused. How about pictures of bullet shells with a blade for a background?" Seifer said.

"Or we could put flowers and hearts on the sides~ Enemies might end up underestimating us that way." Olette added. Yuffie joined their conversation.

"How about shurikens on one side and flower petals on the other? Make the whole thing black and ninja-like!" She said excitedly.

The discussion continued until they approached home.

Vincent landed their new ship, and the whole group sighed with relief. Finally they were home again, even if it was for a short while.

"_Well, we're off! There's a tournament we're supposed to go attend!_" Fox said.

"Thanks again!" Everyone said as the Star Fox team turned and sped off.

"Now then…about those ship changes…?" Tron asked. Ayumi screamed in fear the entire way through the dogfight, piercing Sora's ears painfully.

"Hey…those moves out there weren't half bad kid." Zetta said once they'd gotten away from the flagship.

"What?" Sora asked Zetta, hearing a compliment for the first time seemed quite…off. His heart was still racing from the adrenaline pumping through after seeing the new ships attack him. In every space battle he'd been in not one looked like what he just fought.

"Yeah. For a human who doesn't have anywhere near the skill OR mana power of an overlord." Zetta followed up.

Ayumi grabbed Zetta and shook him violently.

"We've been putting up with your cynicism this entire time! Just once could you be a nice little book and pretend you're in a nice, quiet library that ISN'T on fire? Could you at least a little grateful to still be alive? Why must you be such a jerk?" she blurted out.

Sora tapped Ayumi on the shoulder. "It's okay. I know that if he hadn't been…he wouldn't have even bothered with that half-hearted compliment." He told her. Zetta remained silent. The group continued their journey to Twilight Town with a tense atmosphere around themselves.

Mokona broke the silence with a stomach growl.

"Sora…when we get to that town, can we eat? I want bacon-wrapped caviar served on a bed of snake livers." He rambled. "Oh! And a slice of fried cheese-whiz sprinkled with red peppers!"

"WOAH, woah, woah…dood, that's a netherworld delicacy. Not just anyone can eat that." Zetta said with a bit of excitement in his voice. "That's food fit for an overlord for Magog's sake!"

"Well then I suppose getting some food won't hurt any once we do get there. Who knows? Maybe they've prepared a feast for us." Sora laughed as they approached Twilight Town.

Ayumi sighed with a smile that showed how weary she was from the travelling they'd been doing. She shook her head and thought to herself-

"Men and their stomachs."

Hope you enjoyed this month's installment. So, what are Sith Stalkers? Who exactly is Xehanort's ally Darth Vader, and why don't they get along. Why are Vincent and Yuffie so close? Where do they plan to go? What patterns will be used for the new ship? Will anyone get to eat? Find out next month in

_Kingdom Hearts_ _Shattered Unity_


	18. Chapter 17: Undiscovered Country

_**Kingdom Hearts**_

_**Shattered Unity**_

_**Chapter 17**_

_**Unexplored Country**_

Twilight Town could be called a beautiful world, its eternal sunsets able to put anyone at ease, its relaxing atmosphere and kind people a staple of a working society. A world untouched by evil or malice aside from the occasional Nobody creeping around, though they themselves never actually hurt anyone.

Two ships slowly descended from the evening sky, landing shakily on the lawn of the haunted mansion, one of them caught in a tractor beam, heavily damaged and unable to function, the other with some blaster marks, but in safe condition, The door on the side of the cruiser slowly opened and a large group of people suddenly tried to launch themselves out of it simultaneously, only to get themselves stuck in a tangle of limbs and bodies.

"Land!" shouted Fuu, her only free arm reaching out towards the ground longingly, the rest of her crammed in between Rai and Yuffie.

"You dweebs better get out of my way!" groaned Seifer as he pushed Hayner and Pence's heads together with a loud "thud" and two shouts of pain and anger.

"Seifer you're stepping on my foot!" cried Yuffie, among other shouts of protests as they slowly realized they weren't going anywhere.

Seifer then felt a foot on his backside as everyone was shoved out, the group of eight falling down the ramp as an unamused Vincent Valentine set his foot back on the floor. The cloaked man stepped down and looked to the old ship, the damages evident.

"What do we do with this then?" He asked. Hayner slowly stood up and brushed himself off.

"I say we take it as spare parts and use salvageable gummy blocks to improve the new ship," He said, putting his hand on his chin and looking at the old ship critically.

"Good idea," said Seifer. "We should get started on it."

"Can we get some dinner first?" asked Pence.

"Like you need it," grumbled Seifer.

"Our food stores are in the old ship," said Ollette, jogging towards it. "I'll start on some dinner, the SeeDs gave us fresh supplies."

"That would be nice," said Vincent, walking towards the mansion, examining the abandoned house with scrutiny. "But I need to find a way into the Dark Realm."

"Why's that?" asked Vivi, who was sitting in the grass and staring at Vincent.

"Do you remember the Heartborne creatures the enemy was commanding?"

"Yeah," said Hayner, sitting next to Vivi.

"Something tells me that if we look there," replied Vincent. "We might be able to locate where those things originated. Heartless can no longer thrive in the realm of light thanks to Sora opening the 'door to light'."

"How do you know about that?" asked Hayner suspiciously, his narrow eyes on the back of Vincent's head.

"I spent many years as the Lucid Key's errand boy. I've heard things, just not everything. I think the best place to start would be the dark realm."

"Actually," said Pence slowly. "There's a portal to it in this mansion. Well, a portal into an alternate Twilight town, and in the alternate mansion, there's a portal to the world that uh... I forget what Sora called it, but I know it's a Nobody world."

"Can you show me?" Asked Vincent, turning to look at Pence.

"Yeah, but I don't know where the Dark Realm portal is in there, so Sora will have to show you to it himself."

Vincent nodded and leaned against the new ship.

"I can wait."

KHKHKH

"Waiting sucks," groaned Zetta from Ayumi's bag. "And there's girl things in here!"

"Stop digging through my things!" shouted Ayumi. They were fast approaching Twilight Town as evident by the large world growing larger in the distance. Sora managed to ignore their jabbering long enough to enter the world's atmosphere and head through to the mansion. He guessed that it might be the best place to look for their friends since it was familiar to everyone and it was the best place to land a ship.

As he approached the mansion he was startled to see a large Nobody ship next to the heavily damaged Gummy Ship and reacted immediately, summoning the X-blade to his side.

"Wait," hissed Ayumi. "Why is that ship half painted?"

She was right. The normally silver ship was painted black, yellow, blue and red, like Sora's jacket, and it looked like the Nobody crest had been replaced with a plain white heart.

Sora looked around a bit more and saw Vincent leaning on the unpainted side of the ship. He landed his rider near the gunman who approached them slowly.

"Good to see you in one piece," said Vincent as coolly as usual. "Mind telling me where you guys went?"

"It's a long story," said Sora, climbing off the rider, which evaporated into white light when Ayumi had gotten off as well. "All I can tell you is we gained one more mouth for the trip."

"I demand to be released!" shouted a muffled voice from Ayumi's bag.

"No," she snapped and gave her bag a swift smack. It went silent.

Vincent rolled his eyes and nodded towards the forest.

"Everyone else went to get some pizza," he said. "I'm guessing you three are hungry?"

"Yeah!" exclaimed Mokona, crawling out of Sora's jacket. Sora slapped his chest and his armor vanished, leaving just a breastplate under his heavy coat.

Sora and Ayumi grinned and ran into the forest, Mokona hopping in front and Vincent slowly taking the rear.

"_I'll just stay here!" _called Tron from speakers placed outside of the ship. _"I'll... just... keep watch!"_

The auto turrets whirred to life and began to spin lazily.

"_Maybe I want pizza."_

KHKHKH

Mokona followed the scent of Hayner's group as well as pizza to a small pizzeria in the market with an outside dining area, which was occupied by the group they were looking for.

Ollette was lazily stirring her iced tea with her straw when she noticed them coming.

"Sora!" she cried, running over to them and grabbing him in a hug. Sora returned it halfheartedly, the wear of two days of straight flight apparent on his features.

"Hey Ollette," he said, patting her shoulder and stepping past her, ignoring the slightly disappointed look on her face as he went towards where Hayner and Seifer were sitting across from each other. "I see you two aren't at each others throats."

"We can get along when we want to," said Hayner, slapping Sora's back loudly when he sat down between Hayner and Pence, grabbing a slice of the pizza, bypassing paper plates and digging in immediately.

"You look exhausted," said Vivi from his seat in between Seifer and Fuu, slurping a soda.

"You have no idea," Said Sora with a mouthful of pizza and closed eyes.

"I smell edibles," said Zetta from the bag.

"If you play nice, you can have some," Said Ayumi, opening the pouch and pulling out Zetta.

"The hell is that thing?" asked Rai, cheese dripping onto his pants.

"I am an overlord you tanned baboon." said Zetta, shoving Vivi from his seat and onto the floor, spilling his soda. "I demand your triangular sustenance!"

Zetta then shoved his face into Rai's plate and began to ravenously gobble down the two slices of pizza on it.. He sat upright and jumped, pounding the table.

"I enjoyed that, I shall have another! No form of wicked box prisons shall keep me from them!" Zetta shouted as he dove for the pizza box.

Ayumi screeched a stream of curses and shoved him back into the bag as Ollette helped a crying Vivi clean the soda from his shirt.

"Sora, what the hell is that thing?" demanded Seifer.

"He _was _an incredibly powerful demon lord until he screwed up and destroyed his own world," Sora groaned. "We're stuck with him until he can get back to normal. Hopefully we can get him on our side until then."

"How the heck is that supposed to happen?" asked Yuffie, who was sitting at a different table with Vincent.

"He's supposed to make friends," grumbled Ayumi, who went into the pizza shop to get herself a drink.

"An odd requirement," said Vincent.

"Yeah," said Sora. "It's going to be a pain in the butt, but it might be worth it in the end."

"It had better," said Ollette, who was wiping Vivi's tears.

After everyone had eaten they paid and gathered their things.

"So," said Hayner a bit hesitantly. "What do we do now?"

"Let's take a night to rest," said Sora. "You're home, why not visit your families?"

"I already saw my mom," said Ollette. "She wasn't happy that I was leaving again, but she didn't fight me on it. She still thinks we're studying with Master Yen Sid."

"Same for my parents," said Pence, a sad look on his face.

"I didn't bother to see my old man again," said Seifer. "He wouldn't want me back anyway. Old fart's better off."

"That's depressing," said Ayumi with a grimace.

"That's life brat," shot Seifer.

"Stop," said Fuu, glancing at Seifer, who grunted and took their dishes back into the pizza shop.

"Well," said Yuffie. "I'm glad you got back Sora, but me and Vince want you to show us to the Dark Realm from the mansion if it's possible."

"I never said you were coming," mumbled Vincent from his seat, his iced tea clutched in his hand.

"I never said I was going with you," she shot back. "I'm just going there for the sights."

"Fair enough," said Vincent with a smirk. "You're a big girl, you can take care of yourself."

"That's what I thought," she grinned.

"Sure, I'll show you tomorrow," said Sora. "For now, I'm going to bed. I'll see you at the ship."

Sora stood up and walked off with his arms crossed behind his head.

"Did something happen?" asked Yuffie, looking at Ayumi.

"A lot of things," Ayumi replied. "We saw Xehanort's fleet meeting with another one we didn't recognize and they attacked us. It looked like they weren't enemies, so I guess they must have been friends."

"So he's gaining allies from other worlds," said Vincent darkly.

"Looks like it," said Hayner, scratching his chin. "What do we do?"

"Nothing for now," said Pence, a thoughtful look crossing his features. "For now, let's just get some rest."

Everyone agreed to meet at the ship by the late afternoon and took the rest of the day to go into town. Ayumi went with Ollette, Vivi and Yuffie while Vincent went to guard the damaged ship. Pence Rai and Fuu went to visit some shops while Hayner and Seifer decided to finish painting the new ship.

KHKHKH

"_Oh, Sora,"_ said Tron as Sora entered the new ship. He walked up a set of stairs leading to the crew's quarters and dining area._"You've returned safely. How was the trip?"_

"Long," said Sora. "And painful."

Sora retreated into a random officer's quarters and locked the door, flopping face down onto the bed. The room consisted of a bed, couch, coffee table, a vanity across from the bed, a television and a large window looking out to the trees

"I think I may be in over my head Tron," he mumbled into his pillow.

"_Perhaps,"_ said Tron. _"But it wouldn't be the first time."_

Tron remotely dimmed the lights of Sora's room and closed a tinted blind over the window leaving the room in a state of darkness.

"How am I supposed to take care of everyone?" he asked.

"_That isn't your job Sora. You guys are a team, so you must take care of each other this time."_

"I guess so," said Sora, his head not leaving the pillow, his blindfold still strapped firmly to his face.

He rolled over, sat up and removed his jacket, breastplate and shirt, placing his blindfold onto a bedside table, he looked into the vanity and saw his golden eye glowing faintly in the darkness. He sighed and fell back on the bed, falling into a dreamless sleep.

KHKHKH

Ollette and Vivi were walking hand in hand in the market, browsing a small candy store that had opened up recently. Ayumi was hissing at Zetta to keep his mouth shut and looking for some sweets she could afford on the pocket munny she'd kept on her for school before East Crystal City was attacked by the Heartbourne. She looked up to see that Ollette was looking into the distance, ignoring Vivi's chatter, and decided it might be a good time to get to know the girl better.

"You alright?" she asked, approaching Ollette slowly. Ollete snapped out of her daze.

"Yeah I'm fine," she said. "I just... I dunno, its' silly."

She tried to turn away but Ayumi stopped her.

"What is it?"

"You wouldn't understand," said Ollette with a slight edge. "You're only, like, twelve."

Ayumi's cheeks reddened.

"I bet I have more experience with guys than you do!" she shot back.

Ollette's cheeks went even redder.

"Ha!" Ayumi gloated triumphantly. "I knew that had something to do with it."

"Shush!" hissed Ollette.

"Come on, spill!"

Ollette glanced around the shop and lowered her voice.

"Fine, but don't tell anyone!"

Ayumi made a zipping motion across her lips.

"Well," said Ollette. "I've always kinda liked Sora, since I met him anyway..."

KHKHKH

"...And ever since she met the guy, its like he's all she can think about!" groaned Hayner as he dragged a paintbrush across the hull of the mini-cruiser. "I guess its to be expected. She's been around me all her life, so I'm probably like a brother or something."

"I wouldn't know," growled Vincent from his spot leaning on the damaged ship.

"I mean, he appeared from nowhere, and that means he gets all the attention from the female population? That's hardly fair."

Vincent replied with a wordless grunt, staring at a tree stump with an aura of agitation.

"Will you shut up about your girl problems for ten minutes?" groaned Seifer from around the corner. "We're almost done, can you hold off until then?"

"Whatever," mumbled Hayner as he slopped on more paint. "It's not like I haven't noticed how you look at Serah Farron while she works in the ice cream store."

Seifer was silent.

"I bet that's why you decided to make a disciplinary committee to impress her, seeing as how her big sister is a town guard and all," he said, snickering. Suddenly he felt a hand grab the collar of his shirt and yank him back, sending him falling onto his rear end. "The hell was that for?"

"Don't you talk about that again you punk!" Growled Seifer, pointing a paintbrush into Hayner's face.

"Cool your jets," shouted Hayner. "I didn't know you'd get so pissed!"

"Well that's what happens when you get into my business!"

"Your business? Dude, she's getting married! She's like four years older than us!"

"Hey boys, what's going on? I heard my name, did someone call me?" A young pink haired girl with a single ponytail on the side of her head was outside, with another, taller pink haired woman.

"N-no, it was nothing, Serah. Seriously." Seifer stumbled over his words.

"Right, nothing." Hayner said, whistling.

"You wouldn't happen to be doing anything illegal, now would you?" The taller woman asked them, examining the large ships in the courtyard..

"No! Not at all ma'am!" Hayner and Seifer said simultaneously. Serah giggled.

"Don't worry, Lightning's just giving you a hard time. Right?" Serah said, looking at her sister. Lightning glared at them for a moment, with a stare as cold as ice. "These must be clubhouses they made out of scrap from the dump!"

"Whatever. Just don't let me catch you doing anything that would be dangerous, especially to Serah." She said as she turned and left.

"You got it!" Hayner yelled, slightly nervous from the encounter.

"Well, I'm gonna get running now, but I'll see you around. Later!" Serah shouted, waving as she left to catch up to Lightning.

Seifer dropped his paintbrush into Hayner's lap and walked into the forest.

"My side of the ship is done," he said. "So hurry up and finish yours. If I see your face at all in the next three hours, you'll be losing it!"

Hayner sighed and got back to work, not daring to look at Vincent.

KHKHKH

Kairi's eyes opened slowly, black clouds overhead. She groaned in pain as her side throbbed.

"Oh, you're awake," said a female voice. She turned her head to see Aqua seated next to her.

"What happened," she groaned, her throat parched. Her eyes suddenly snapped to Aqua. "Who are you? Have we met?"

Aqua was about to reply, but she was interrupted.

"You almost died, if it were not for Aqua's healing magic," said a much deeper voice. Ansem the Wise stood by some rocks a few feet away. "I've no doubt you are tired and have many questions."

"Yeah," she said, sitting up, staring at Ansem. "Like where have I seen you before?"

"Last we met was at the World that Never Was."

"Oh yeah!" said Kairi, nodding as her memory returned. "You were caught in a big explosion."

"Yes, I should have died, but instead I landed here, in the Dark Realm."

"The dark realm?" Kairi tried to stand, but grabbed her hip instead, gasping in pain. Aqua grabbed her and forced her to lay down again.

"Calm down!" said Aqua. "You've been hurt, really badly. Your friend Golbez brought you here."

"Where is he?" Kairi asked, looking up at Aqua.

"He is over there," she said, pointing at the ocean. She was right, and there was Golbez, floating over the surface and staring into the horizon. "Hey! She's awake!"

Golbez started, and turned towards them, drifting back to the beach. When his feet met sand he kneeled to Kairi.

"I feared the worst Princess," he said.

"Don't call me that," she said with a smile. "Kairi will work."

"Oh but you are indeed royalty," said Ansem, approaching them. "After your mother and father passed away, I was appointed as regent until your coming of age."

"You knew my parents?" whispered Kairi, her eyes going wide.

"Your mother was my sister," he said sadly. "And I am your uncle, Ansem."

Kairi looked down into the sand, staring hard at it.

"Your apprentices killed our home," she said quietly. Ansem did not reply verbally, but fell to his knees and began to weep, the memories of his sister and his mistakes overwhelming him

"And I regret not being able to save you," he whispered, tears flowing. "I wish I could make up for it."

Kairi slowly stood up with Golbez's help.

"Well we could start with trying to find a way to get out of here," she said.

"You could tell us what's been happening in the outside world," said Aqua. Golbez held up a hand and decided that he would be the storyteller for the day. He slowly went over the events that had occurred since Sora opened the Door to Light and up until the evacuation of Radiant Garden.

"So my home has fallen again," said Ansem, cursing under his breath and crossing his arms.

"What do we do?" asked Aqua. "I've been stuck in here for who knows how many years, and I've never found an exit!"

"I can provide an exit," said Golbez. "But I used too much power getting us to the Dark Realm. I'm afraid all I can do is get us to Dark Realm Worlds."

"Maybe we could find a way out through those," speculated Kairi.

"It will have to do. I would very much like to leave this place," said Ansem, turning to Golbez.

The sorcerer nodded.

"It will take me an hour or two to locate a world to take us to, and I cannot transport us directly. I can, however, take a large chunk of this world and take us through space. I must warn you though, Heartless may still roam these worlds, and I have no idea what awaits us. The Dark Realm is a largely unexplored territory."

"Let's get started then," Said Ansem. "Kairi, in the meantime, may I ask how your life has been since you left my care?"

Kairi looked to Aqua apprehensively, but the other girl nodded her approval and she walked off with her uncle to tell her story.

KHKHKH

_The Next Day_

Sora, Vincent and Yuffie stood outside of the portal to The World that Never was. Pence had let them through the portal to the computer world. Lucky for them, the computer was still functioning.

"So this is goodbye?" asked Sora.

"I'm afraid so kid," said Yuffie, giving him a hug. "We'll track you down when our investigation is done."

"Stay safe," said Vincent, walking into the portal without another word. Yuffie grinned awkwardly and was about to follow when Sora grabbed her arm.

"How do you know Vincent anyway?" he asked.

"It's a long story," she said. "I'll tell you next time, all I can say is he was a bodyguard to Ansem the Wise back in the day."

Sora nodded and let her go, and she waved and went through the portal. Sora put his arms behind his head and walked towards the computer terminal.

When he got out of the mansion with Pence, he sighed, staring at the old ship.

"Didn't you fly in a ship just like that one on your first few journeys?" asked Pence.

"Yup. I suppose upgrading to something bigger is a good idea."

"So where are we going first?"

"I don't know, but I think our best bet would be a world where the darkness is growing rapidly."

Sora and Pence were walking around the new ship, its paint finally dried and ready to go, when Tron interjected.

"_I can help with that," _he said through the speakers. _"The sensors on this ship allow me to track large gatherings of darkness. It was meant to follow where the Heartless were migrating to, but it will prove useful in this case."_

"Any worlds catch your interest?" asked Sora.

"_One. It's called Prydain. It's __quite__ far from here, __it__ will take__three days__ to get there__ by hyperspace."_

"That is pretty far. Are there any other worlds closer?"

"_There are a few others, __yes. However, Prydain seems to have the strongest response__. I believe we should deal with that one first.__"_

"All right, let's go there then."

"I'll get the others," said Pence. "You prepare the ship."

Sora nodded as Pence ran into town. Sora went to the control room and sat in the pilot's chair.

"Looks like the hunt is on."

Sora spun around and summoned the X-blade as a flash of red and a loud buzzing noise flashed through the air. There was a screech as the magic material of the X-blade fended off a blade of pure red light.

**Sorry for the lack of updates. Hopefully we can gain a monthly schedule soon.**

**See what happens next time on Kingdom Hearts: Shattered Unity.**


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